by Jack Bourassa
The upcoming long weekend gives me an empowered feeling that leaves me inspired.
Last year, I flipped burgers while enjoying the day with people who came with their families to show their solidarity and support for the union while enjoying the BBQ event. Being there was my way of saying thank you.
A Labour Day parade in Toronto in 1905. Columnist Jack Bourassa states that Labour Day is much more than the last long weekend of summer.
But Labour Day is much more than a last end long weekend respite to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.
No matter where we will be this Monday, let’s take the time to celebrate our labour movement. This day is an opportunity for us to thank Canada’s labour pioneers whose struggles paved the way for a strong union that defends workers’ rights and works for the interests and well-being of communities. However, our words of gratitude and thanks are meaningless without action. As we enjoy our rights and improved working conditions, we must not confine the struggles and victories of our labour movement to the history books.
Let’s get the time machine ready and take ourselves on a journey through history. Labour Day dates back to 1872, a time when unions were illegal in Canada and many people worked for at least ten hours a day without having a weekend to look forward to.
Faced with these conditions and armed by their determination and courage, Toronto’s print workers decided to take a stand. The Toronto Typographical Union demanded a nine-hour workday from the city’s publishers. Employers refused and on March 25, 1872, the workers went on strike.
The employers responded by hiring replacement workers in an attempt to stop the movement and deter other workers from taking similar actions, but the opposite happened. Strikers gained extensive support from other workers in Toronto and more than 10,000 supporters showed up for a rally at Queen’s Park on April 15, 1872.
As union activity was illegal, members of the strike committee were arrested for criminal conspiracy the next day. Having gained widespread support, people protested in solidarity with those arrested. Citizens mobilized around this cause and put pressure on the government to take action.
Prime Minister John A. Macdonald realized the benefit of siding with the workers and introduced the Trade Union Act on April 18, 1872, which legalized unions. The “Nine-Hour Movement” emerged from the strike in Toronto and led to the annual celebration that we know as Labour Day.
The Nine-Hour Movement spread across Canadian cities leading to more mobilization of workers who demanded a shorter work week. Annual parades were held every year in support of strikers and in celebration of workers’ rights. Labour Day was declared a national holiday in 1894.
It is impossible for me to encapsulate a history of struggles, challenges and victories in a couple of paragraphs, but I wanted to use this space to remind ourselves that the rights we enjoy today have been achieved through the hard work of those who have come before us.
Now it’s our responsibility to keep up their good work. If we don’t learn from history and hold on to the gains that the labour movement has been able to achieve, we could lose them. Unions gave you weekends, which is no small thing, but what’s more important to know is that under unions, we have the right to organize.
Wherever they are, unions have always been known to stand up for democracies. It is hard to imagine a time in which labour activists risked their lives and were arrested for defending workers’ rights and promoting social justice. However, that’s not history in many parts of the world. There are places where unions are still illegal and at a time when some voices are undermining the role of unions, it’s important to stand up, fight back and remember those who struggled to give us the right to organize.
While continuing to promote workers’ rights, a strong labour movement also recognizes and promotes human rights. It’s a powerful counterbalance to the capitalist forces that prioritize profit over the well-being of communities.
What are your plans for this weekend? Whether you attend a Labour Day event, spend time with your family or just relax by yourself, take a moment, close your eyes and remember those who have worked hard in order for all of us to consider Labour Day a day of celebration. Let the vibes of the day give us the energy to continue promoting and defending social justice.