Canada’s labour movement has a long history with the ultimate goal of improving workers’ everyday lives. Workers fought for the rights enjoyed by all workers today – minimum wages, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, maternity and parental leave, vacation pay, and protection from discrimination and harassment. This history – which is still an ongoing struggle – has been one of enormous obstacles that required passion and commitment. The National Film Board’s short film As Friend and Foe sheds light on the Canadian government’s role in labour relations during the last century.
In the mid 19th century, railroads, lumber, mining, manufacturing were prospering all over the country as the industrial revolution made progress in all industries. To help production grow, immigration laws reflected the need for workers. Albeit, theses occupations were often dangerous and risky for both new-comers and Canadian labourers. It is well known that there is power in numbers and one of the only ways to bring about change is through collective action. And so, to improve wages and working conditions, industrial unions were born. To help control these unions and work out labour disputes, the Canadian government established its first department of labour in 1900. William Lyon Mackenzie King, the man who would shape the landscape of labour legislation for the next 50 years was awarded the position as deputy Minister of labour. He called himself a friend of the workers, and believed that workers did not need unions to ensure their well being. Instead, he suggested that the government could serve as a referee in labour disputes. This resulted in many grievances and strikes being put to rest if they did not submit a proper dispute to a government conciliation board. It is quite fascinating hearing many stories told in the film for the first time. …show more content…
For one, I had never been made aware of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919; After the First World War, Canadian soldiers returned home and the found that jobs were scarce, and inflation was rampant. The high-level of unemployment encouraged workers across the country to demand unions to secure their livelihood. However, instead of addressing the need for inflation controls and job security, he government bared the iron fist. When the people refused to listen the municipal police, the liberal government ordered in the military and the RCMP. The troops roamed through the street with trucks armed with machine guns. Consequently, 10 unions leaders were arrested, and 24 strikers were wounded or killed. The government justified their decision by claiming that the strike was a result of rebels attempting to start a Bolshevik revolution in Winnipeg – an aftershock of the revolution in Russia 18 months prior to this event. I was also unfamiliar with the story of the Cape Bretton miners’ strike in 1921. The event was so dramatic that the government sent the militia to Nova Scotia three times to counter the perceived subversion. After 6 years of striking, the miners and their families were eventually starved into submission. Prosperity never returned to Cape Bretton. In 1929, the stock market crashed, and the depression started. Thousands of people lost their jobs. In 1935, the unemployed began a walking trek to all parts of the country. The protesters were stopped in Regina when the RCMP launched
In the mid 19th century, railroads, lumber, mining, manufacturing were prospering all over the country as the industrial revolution made progress in all industries. To help production grow, immigration laws reflected the need for workers. Albeit, theses occupations were often dangerous and risky for both new-comers and Canadian labourers. It is well known that there is power in numbers and one of the only ways to bring about change is through collective action. And so, to improve wages and working conditions, industrial unions were born. To help control these unions and work out labour disputes, the Canadian government established its first department of labour in 1900. William Lyon Mackenzie King, the man who would shape the landscape of labour legislation for the next 50 years was awarded the position as deputy Minister of labour. He called himself a friend of the workers, and believed that workers did not need unions to ensure their well being. Instead, he suggested that the government could serve as a referee in labour disputes. This resulted in many grievances and strikes being put to rest if they did not submit a proper dispute to a government conciliation board. It is quite fascinating hearing many stories told in the film for the first time. …show more content…
For one, I had never been made aware of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919; After the First World War, Canadian soldiers returned home and the found that jobs were scarce, and inflation was rampant. The high-level of unemployment encouraged workers across the country to demand unions to secure their livelihood. However, instead of addressing the need for inflation controls and job security, he government bared the iron fist. When the people refused to listen the municipal police, the liberal government ordered in the military and the RCMP. The troops roamed through the street with trucks armed with machine guns. Consequently, 10 unions leaders were arrested, and 24 strikers were wounded or killed. The government justified their decision by claiming that the strike was a result of rebels attempting to start a Bolshevik revolution in Winnipeg – an aftershock of the revolution in Russia 18 months prior to this event. I was also unfamiliar with the story of the Cape Bretton miners’ strike in 1921. The event was so dramatic that the government sent the militia to Nova Scotia three times to counter the perceived subversion. After 6 years of striking, the miners and their families were eventually starved into submission. Prosperity never returned to Cape Bretton. In 1929, the stock market crashed, and the depression started. Thousands of people lost their jobs. In 1935, the unemployed began a walking trek to all parts of the country. The protesters were stopped in Regina when the RCMP launched