Image credit: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Summary of Events
The City issued a lockout after the union local of 330 workers refused to make concessions on their pension. The City rescinded its second lock out order after the City Council vetoed it. The first lock out order was issued to the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 615, deemed illegal by the Saskatchewan Labour Board on September 20, because an unresolved unfair labour practice case was before the board at the time the lockout was issued (17 October 2014).
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Image credit: (2012). Teachers applaud the comments of Susan Lambert, President of the BC Teachers Federation at a rally in the Cloverdale Agriplex, Surrey February 27 2012. Vancouver Sun. https://vancouversun.com/News/Education/bctf-says-province-tried-to-provoke-strike-during-2011-job-action?r
Summary of Events
12,000 members of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) took part in 2 separate job actions after talks failed. They walked off the job for a total of 3 days after members voted 95% in favour of an action. The main issue was wages which were the lowest of all the prairie provinces.
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Summary of Events
Strike lasted almost a year.
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Image credit: Bicknell, D. Lakeside Packers. Financial Post. https://financialpost.com/executive/risk-management/successful-labour-relations-are-more-like-a-marriage-not-a-boxing-match
Brooks, Alberta
Summary of Events
Tempers between workers and the owners flared from the start when the strike started on October 12, 2005 in Brooks, Alberta. At the time, the slaughterhouse, Lakeside Packers, employed about 2,300 workers and was owned by Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc. Things reportedly got so heated on the first day of the strike that the RCMP were called in after a bus carrying workers over the picket line had its windows smashed. The bitter battle ended after three weeks on November 4, 2005, with the ratification of Lakeside Packers first collective agreement. The contract included: wage increases, improvements to short-term disability benefits, and union security and grievance procedures.
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Saskatchewan
Edmonton, Alberta
Summary of Events
Triggered by lies made during a previous strike in 1986, where the plant had threatened to close if an agreement was not made, The Maple Leaf foods strike was trying to confront the plant by going on strike again. Workers already felt uncertainty of their future and felt like they were not respected as workers in the plant, which were further reasons as to why they went on strike. Unfortunately, due to a miscalculation from the UFCW, the plant did end up closing and workers lost their jobs. This led to striking workers at other Maple Leaf plants conceding, as they were afraid of plant closure as well (Gunderson, Hebdon, Hyatt 2009).
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Canadian labour and employment relations by Sources and related resources
Edmonton, Alberta
Summary of Events
When the agreement between Gainers and United Food and Commercial Workers local 280P’s agreement had expired in 1986, the owner Pocklington claimed that he could not afford to match raises at competing plants, as Pocklington felt that Alberta’s marketing board has set the prices for pigs too high, causing Gainers to have to cut costs – and wages. The workers disagreed and felt as though Pocklington was actually yielding a surplus and the strike began on June 1st. While the workers were on strike, Pocklington brought in strikebreaking replacement workers to take over the striking workers duties. The striking workers tried to scare the replacement workers by attempting to tip over the buses the workers were in as they tried to cross the picket lines. The police were eventually brought in to help allow the replacement workers get on site; at one point 375 uniformed police officers were brought in and they had considered bringing in the army. Eventually a contract was reached after several meetings and deliberations with the premier of Alberta in 1986, Don Getty. The workers did get their jobs back over the replacement workers and the striking workers agreed to a 2 year wage freeze, followed by a raise, and the workers also managed to keep their pension benefits.
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Summary of Events
A strike by Local 333 of the Grain Workers union against five West coast grain companies. Begun on August 24, 1974 by federal legislation. (Not to be confused with the Grain Inspectors strike).
Summary of Events
The CIRHR Library has a file on this strike. Request from Library staff.
Brandon, Manitoba
Summary of Events
The Brandon Packers six month strike involved 110 employee under the new management of Mr. Wudel. On the first day of the strike, the strikers were all discharged and permanent employment was guaranteed to the few non-strikers and replacement workers. The strike arose from effects of a new management to shift from a long-established industrywide wage pattern to a much lower community wage level. The union asked for an increase in wage rates to which Mr. Wudel claimed inability to pay. Eventually, the Manitoba government created a judicial committee of inquiry, which held hearings in the fall of 1960. As a result of certain disclosures at those hearings, criminal charges were laid against the owners of the firm, who were convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment (MacDowell, 1971). The strike ended in a collective agreement signed at three o'clock in the morning on August 29, 1960.
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The CIRHR Library has a file on this strike. Request from Library staff.
Image credit: Funeral for three miners killed during the Estevan Riot, 1931. PAS Photo R-A18508. Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan.
Estevan, Sask.
Summary of events
At the end of a long, hot summer mining coal workers got fed up with the long hours and low pay. Living and safety conditions for the miners were also grim. After enlisting the help of the Mine Workers' Union of Canada, coal miners in Estevan hit the picket line on September 7, 1931. The owners of the mines quickly brought in replacement workers, but mass picketing drove those workers out. On September 29, 1931 miners planned a parade on what was to become known as Black Tuesday. Before the miners, along with their wives and children, could get the parade to the centre of town the local police chief reportedly grabbed one of the miners -- sparking a fight. Police, firefighters and the RCMP were called in as things escalated. Black Tuesday ended with three miners being shot dead, and many other injured. Some union leaders were arrested, and ultimately charged and convicted. Despite the deaths the strike wore on. Finally, on October 6, 1931 the mine owners agreed to a number of conditions, including: higher wages, an eight-hour workday and other concessions. One concession the owners wouldn't make? Holding firm on not allowing the workers to join the Mine Workers' Union of Canada. It would take many more years before the coal miners of Estevan to finally unionize after the death of three of their own.
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Winnipeg, Manitoba
Summary of Events
On May 1, 1919, Winnipeg's building and metal workers took to the picket lines fighting for higher wages. Many Canadians had returned from war and were dissatisfied with working conditions upon their return to their home and native land. So, as summer approached in 1919, the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council called for a general strike in support of the building and metal workers. The city came to a standstill and political leaders in Ottawa took notice and ordered federal employees back to work immediately, or face dismissal. The government also took a hardline on immigrants, believing them to be behind the strike, and broadened the definition of sedition (incitement to rebellion). At the local level, the mayor of Winnipeg, fired most of the city police force, as many were sympathetic to the strikers' cause. Those police officers were replaced with the "Specials," who were paid for by the business community and given baseball bats and horses. The Royal North-West Mounted Police, a.k.a. The Red Coats, were also on hand when on June 10, 1919, a riot broke out, then a few days later union leaders were arrested. The Red Coats were told to put down any ensuing demonstrations with necessary force. Things culminated in what would become known as "Bloody Saturday." On June 21, 1919, 6,000 people protested while the Red Coats charged with revolvers firing on horseback. Two strikers were killed, 34 injured and 94 people were arrested. The violent strike came to an end on June 25, 1919, with workers returning to work. The labour movement in Canada had effectively been quashed ... at least for the time being.
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