Modern trade unions arose in the UK during the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. During this pivotal period, thousands of workers and their families left subsistence farming in the country for a life in the cities, working for pitifully low wages in factories. Working conditions were harsh: 12-16-hour workdays, no health or safety regulations, no compensation for injuries, and no child labour laws. Change began slowly in the late-1800s when unions were legally recognized in the UK and US.
In 1872, printers of the Toronto Typographical Union went on strike to demand a nine-hour workday. Supported by over 10,000 other workers, they marched on Queen’s Park; however, unions were still illegal, and the strike committee was arrested. In the wake of these events, the Trade Union Act became law, laying the foundation of the modern labour movement in Canada, and the Nine-Hour Movement gained momentum.
Another pivotal moment in Canadian labour history was the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. After World War I, inflation was high and employment scarce. On May 15, thousands of workers from various sectors walked off the job. The strike continued until June 21, when members of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police on horseback violently suppressed the strike. Two strikers were killed with many dozens suffering injuries and arrest. The Winnipeg General Strike remains the largest labour action ever seen in Canada.
During the Great Depression (1929-39) some young workers travelled the “On to Ottawa trek,” leading to the establishment of Canada’s Unemployment Insurance (now EI) in 1940. After a major Ford automotive plant strike in 1945 over union dues and vacation time, arbitrator Ivan Rand, a Supreme Court of Canada judge, handed down a decision now known as the Rand formula. This decision levied automatic dues check-off from pay stubs, meaning that all workers who benefitted from the union, paid into the union.
In March 1960, after five immigrant workers died following a tunnelling accident involving a new water main under the Don River at Hogg’s Hollow, unions fought to pass Ontario’s Industrial Safety Act. This Act was the foundation for the Canada Labour Code and various other health and safety codes across the country. These regulations give workers the right to refuse unsafe work, the right to know about workplace hazards, and the right to participate in health and safety discussions with employers.
As the number of women entering the workforce doubled from 30% in the 1960s to 60% by the end of the 1970s, then rising to 70% by the 2000s, protecting mothers’ rights became increasingly important. In 1971, maternity benefits were established. Over time, unions have negotiated longer maternity leaves at higher levels of pay with the ability to return to the same jobs—not to mention paternity and parental leaves, and leaves for adoptive parents.
In 2023, CUPE National celebrated its 60th anniversary of supporting Canadian workers in colleges and universities, in preschool to Grade 12, in healthcare, emergency services, municipal jobs, libraries, utilities, and transportation. In Ontario, CUPE represents over 290,000 members; nationally, CUPE represents over 750,000 members.
With information from: CUPE Ontario; CUPE National; UFCW Canada; Canadian Labour Congress. See History of Labour in Canada | Canadian Labour Congress for more on the history of the Labour movement in Canada.