Essa Carrickbane

Essa Carrickbane (1982) is a labor leader, activist, and author serving as the current Secretary-General of the National Federation of Trade Guilds in Lathadu. Prior to her attaining the office, she served as a national-level labor representative starting in 2013. A member of the Printer and Writers Syndicate, Carrickbane hails from County Fastidmoidynagh, where she served as a local industry leader in the city of Lheimmeyushtey prior to her election to national office.

Carrickbane rose to the office of Secretary-General in 2022, following Orry Copeland's stepping down due to health concerns. Previously, she served as Deputy Secretary-General, a position making her the second most powerful figure in the organization. She has aligned herself closely with Premier Alden Quayle's agenda as a Wheelerist-Knealist Progressive, publicly adopting the label rather than shying away from it as some others.

Early life
Essa Carrickbane was born in Kishtey, Lathadu in 1982. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she spent her childhood living with her great grandparents. Her childhood friends describe her as a smart, sociable, and outspoken girl that loved poetry and wrote songs. She studied in Lheimmeyushtey, where she graduated with a dual degree in Ordrish and Gundiagh Language Studies at age twenty. She joined her local Writer's Guild as an apprentice, working as a correspondent for The Evening News and Radio Lheimmeyushtey. That same year, her book of poetry Claghchrystyl was published locally.

Much of her early journalism focused on local politics and interest stories; her first big story related to the degradation in condition of a local dam not far from her home village of Kishtey. Following her gaining local fame, she worked as a foreign correspondent in The Gozyaries for the Calleebane Times. Her pieces explored topics such as the lingering effects of the refugee crisis and disabled war veterans.

Activism
Upon her return to Lathadu following the end of her time as a correspondent with the Calleebane Times, Carrickbane said that the experience "profoundly changed how I viewed the world around me." She became more heavily involved in organizing in Lheimmeyushtey at this time and involved herself with multiple organizations. The primary focus of these groups was generally improvement of infrastructure and utilities in rural areas, as well as increasing access to medical care outside of the basic services provided by existing clinics. These focuses have remained a top priority following her confirmation as Secretary-General. She has been quoted as having said, "We must continue to build the wealth of the worker and of the community. But perhaps the greatest good a community can give is to ensure that none go hungry, and none want.  If a society, a society of any kind fails its members, then that society itself is a failure.  We owe a duty to our own people and the people of the world to not look away in the face of starvation, pestilence, or cruelty."

Career
Carrickbane attempted to attain the backing of the Democratic Laborers Party when she ran for a national position in 20013. However, she was unable to, and thus ran as an independent. Drawing from her grassroots base, she received a surprise endorsement from the Agrarian Party and was successfully elected to the National Board for the Printer and Writers Syndicate. There, she earned a reputation as an outspoken leader and became well known for her advocacy for the support of Raihdeyracht-styled Syndicates outside of the country. For this reason, she regularly traveled throughout the region to visit NFTG-affiliated groups in Gladomyr, Edury, and Galvia, among other nations. She became famous as a hands-on advocate who pushed for bottom-up solutions to organizing. In 2017, she was nominated by the NFTG to serve as Deputy Secretary-General of the organization to Orry Copeland. Copeland was seen by many as a moderate choice, and Carrickbane was selected as a young and enthusiastic presence to serve as the face of Copeland's administration. However, following Copeland's sudden stroke in 2021, he was forced to step down from the position. This meant that his Deputy, Carrickbane, would finish the remainder of his six-year term as Secretary-General.

Secretary-General
Carrickbane was officially sworn in as Secretary General of the NFTG on February 8, 2022 at its headquarters in Calleebane. The ceremony took place only two hours after Copeland's formal resignation, as Carrickbane and the organization alike wished for the transition to be as smooth as possible. Soon after, she met with Premier Alden Quayle and was confirmed as Minister of Labor and Cooperation in Quayle's cabinet by the National Diet. Copeland's supporters in the NFTG were nervous about Carrickbane's sudden rise to power, going from the ceremonial face of the body to its most powerful member in a day. Carrickbane assured union leaders that she intended to adhere to Copeland's policies and retained his cabinet. Nonetheless, she sought to position herself as the federation's undisputed leader, seeking to bolster the role of the Secretary-General for the upcoming 2023 election. For her Deputy Secretary-General she nominated Perick Kinrade, a vocal figure in the Manufacturers and General Production Syndicate.

Shortly after taking office, Carrickbane invited People's Emancipation Union leader Oriana Caneo Alcafa to a major conference of syndicates in Ushteyghoo. There, she was photographed meeting and speaking with Alcafa, as well as shaking hands. This sparked a bitter response from Venotra, which denounced the NFTG for hosting Alcafa due to the Ventoran government's long and brutal conflict with the People's Emancipation Union. When asked to apologize, Carrickbane refused, instead saying that she looked forward to many future meetings with Alcafa.

Personal life
Following her parents' divorce, Carrickbane went to live with her paternal great-grandparents in the town of Stowell. She claims partial Tretuish ancestry from her father's side and has recited poems in Gundo-Tretuish at numerous secular and spiritual events. Carrickbane is an Ayekist. She has discussed her faith and its impact on her life on numerous occasions, particularly her belief in the connection of all souls as preached in Ayekism. During Copeland's 2017 campaign for Secretary-General, Carrickbane resided in an apartment in the Cowpen Park community of Calleebane with her partner, web developer Steven Sharkey.