Our team

Chris Given, President, SIU Canada

Born into a proud lineage of seafarers, Chris Given’s connection to the maritime industry and the labour movement runs deep. With generations of SIU Canada members in his family, Chris carried that legacy forward by joining the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada in 2015.

Chris quickly became a key advocate for Canadian seafarers, leveraging his sharp political instincts and deep industry knowledge as the Union’s Director of Government Relations. In this role, he led the charge in Ottawa, lobbying the federal government on issues affecting seafarers’ rights, safety, and livelihoods. His strong presence on Parliament Hill established him as one of the industry’s leading voices in the nation’s capital.

Beyond Canada’s borders, Chris has been a relentless advocate for maritime workers globally through his work with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). He has served as Chair of the ITF Cabotage Taskforce, contributed to the ITF Maritime Safety Committee, and represented the ITF as a delegate to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

In 2022, Chris was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the SIU Canada. In 2025, he was elected President of the Union, continuing his lifelong commitment to defending and advancing the rights of seafarers across Canada and around the world.

• Grew up in Montreal, QC.
• Began working for the SIU Canada in 2015 at the Thorold Union Hall as a dispatcher and organizer.
• Formerly the SIU Canada’s Director of Government Relations
• Hobbies include spending time with wife and daughters, golf, hockey and reading
• Education:
  • Diploma of College Studies – John Abbott College, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec (2007)
  • Bachelor’s degree in Education (BEd) – McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (2012)
  • Labour Relations Certificate – Ryerson University, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto, Ontario (2022)

Other positions held:

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)

• Regional Chair, North America, ITF Seafarers’ Section
• Chair – ITF Cabotage Task Force
• Member – ITF Fair Practices Committee Steering Group
• Member – ITF Maritime Safety Committee Steering Group
• Member – ITF Maritime Safety Committee
  • Delegate to IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL), IMO Sub-Committee on the Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) and IMO Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III).
• Member – Workers’/Seafarers’ Delegation to ILO Special Tripartite Committee
• Member – ITF Inland Navigation Section
• Advisor – ITF Offshore Task Force
• Advisor – ITF Seafarers’ Section
• ITF Communications and Public Relations Officer, Canada

Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

• Member – Transportation Committee, Privatization Committee, National Political Action Committee.

Government of Canada

• • Member – Labour Standards Advisory Committee, ESDC Labour Program, Member – TFWP Maritime Sector Advisory Committee, ESDC Temporary Foreign Workers Program
  • Member – Canadian Marine Advisory Committee, Transport Canada, Marine Safety & Security

Maritime Trades Department (MTD)

• • Member of the Eastern Area Executive Board