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Historical Perspectives (8)
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Growing Up Canadian: WorkSusan Terrill 2003 46 minFrom working six days a week in a factory to serving up sundaes at the Dairy Queen on weekends, Canadian children have done it all. In the first half of the century many families couldn't get by without financial help from their kids. The nation counted on its young when it came to wartime; from joining up to fight to tucking a love note in a scarf knit for an unknown soldier, witnesses recall their contributions.
Recollections of work include cheapskate bosses, the decision to quit and the experience of getting fired. It was tough working in the coal mines and out in the fishing dories, but even babysitters join in the complaints about lousy conditions and low pay!
Work is one of a 6-part series entitled Growing Up Canadian. These documentaries explore the myths and realities of Canadian childhood through family life, schooling, work, play, health and the media. The series marks the contribution of childhood and youth experience in defining Canada as it grew into full nationhood in the 20th century. -
Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 1 - International Background - Canadian RootsArthur Hammond 1989 54 minA look at the problematic relationship of Canadian unions and the New Democratic Party on the eve of the 1980s, as the Socialist International meets in Vancouver. This triggers a flashback to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, and the birth of both modern trade unions and democratic socialism. The influence of British, American and European immigration, of American trade unions, World War 1 and other events provide a turbulent and fascinating backdrop to the evolution of the Canadian labour-socialist alliance. Part 1.
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Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 2 - Born of Hard TimesArthur Hammond 1989 51 minThe world plunges into the Great Depression which, like most leaders, Canada's R.B. Bennett refuses to combat with unbalanced budgets and government spending. Inspired by reports from Russia, many turn to communism for solutions. The 1937 General Motors strike in Oshawa gives the Congress of Industrial Organizations a toehold in Canada, but on the eve of World War II Canada's tiny unions remain blocked by restrictive labour laws and, like the equally tiny Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, locked in struggle with communist rivals. Part 2.
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Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting TogetherArthur Hammond 1989 53 minWorld War II turns Canada into an industrial power, and creates a mass trade-union movement. Mackenzie King responds with unemployment insurance and full legal status for unions. In 1944, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation comes to power in Saskatchewan, under Tommy Douglas, the first socialist government in North America. With the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956, CCF and CLC energies are directed toward the formation of the New Democratic Party in 1961. Part 3 of the series.
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On Strike: The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919Joe MacDonald & Clare Johnstone Gilsig 1991 19 minThe dramatic story of the Winnipeg General Strike in 1919 told through the recollections of the men and women who were there. This presentation traces the events leading up to the strike; the issues, the personalities and the divisions among the people of Winnipeg. It culminates with the riot of June 21, 1919 in which death and serious injury resulted.
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Partners in Production1944 36 minThe opening scenes of this film recall the grim days of Dunkirk. We see Britain in that time of crisis girding herself for the siege with the organization of Civil Defence and ARP, and the formation of the Home Guard. On the industrial side, the film shows readjustments made to increase production, such as the absorption of women into war factories and the setting up of labour-management committees. In describing how these committees functioned in the coal industry, the film demonstrates the importance of total democracy in waging total war.
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The Road TakenSelwyn Jacob 1996 52 minThis 1996 documentary takes a nostalgic ride through history to present the experiences of Black sleeping-car porters who worked on Canada's railways from the early 1900s through the 1960s. There was a strong sense of pride among these men and they were well-respected by their community. Yet, harsh working conditions prevented them from being promoted to other railway jobs until finally, in 1955, porter Lee Williams took his fight to the union.
Claiming discrimination under the Canada Fair Employment Act, the Black workers won their right to work in other areas. Interviews, archival footage and the music of noted jazz musician Joe Sealy (whose father was a porter) combine to portray a fascinating history that might otherwise have been forgotten. -
"They Didn't Starve Us Out": Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920sPatricia Kipping 1991 21 minFor 200 years, coal mining had been a way of life in Cape Breton. By 1920 things were looking up: miners were unionized and paid decent wages. Then the British Empire Steel Corporation arrived and bought every single steel and coal company in Nova Scotia. BESCO cut wages by a third, setting off a bitter labour dispute. The miners settled in for a long strike. Finally, in 1925, the military ended the unrest with brute force. But the miners, in one sense, had won. They broke up the monopoly and provided an example to workers across the country.
