Minister's Message: Labour Day, Past and Present

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following is intended for use on or about Labour Day, Monday, Sept. 7, 1998.

Since it is one of the country's paid holidays, most Canadians look forward to Labour Day. But how many people, in the middle of this end-of-summer celebration, stop to wonder about its origin?

"The concept of celebrating workers in Canada -- their contributions to society and their rights -- is almost as old as the country itself, but the celebration is just as relevant today," said Labour Minister Russell MacKinnon. "We must continually applaud ourselves as workers and feel proud of our accomplishments in developing a strong labour force."

Records show that the Toronto Trades Assembly, perhaps the original central labour body in Canada, organized the first North American workers' demonstration for April 15, 1872. About 10,000 Torontonians turned out to watch a parade and listen to speeches calling for the abolition of the law that decreed trade unions as criminal conspiracies in restraint of trade.

Held on what was then Thanksgiving Day, the parade was organized to free 24 imprisoned leaders of the Toronto Typographical Union, on strike to secure the nine-hour workday. At that time, it was a crime to be a member of a union in Canada, although the law of criminal conspiracy in restraint of trade had been repealed by the British Parliament in 1871.

Also in 1872, on Sept. 3, members of seven Ottawa unions organized a parade more than a mile long, lead by the Garrison Artillery bank and flanked by city firemen carrying torches. It seems the parade reached its objective. The marchers wound their way to the home of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, hoisted him into a carriage and drew him to Ottawa City Hall by torchlight. Aware that workers were discontent with the laws making unions illegal, Macdonald declared that his party would "sweep away all such barbarous laws from the statute books." The offending conspiracy laws were repealed by Parliament that year.

The tradition established by the Toronto Trades Assembly continued into the early 1880s. In 1882, the Toronto Trades and Labour Council, successor to the original group, decided to organize the annual demonstration and picnic for July 22. Peter J. McGuire, American founder and general secretary of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, was invited to speak at the event.

Soon trade unionists were pressing for legislation declaring Labour Day a Canadian national holiday. In 1894, the government of Sir John Thompson enacted such legislation on July 23, with the prime minister piloting the bill through Parliament against the opposition of some of his fellow Conservatives.

Canadian trade unionists have celebrated this special day set aside to honour those who labour, and it has grown in popularity. The first Labour Day parade in Winnipeg, in 1894, was two miles long.

"There is little doubt that the plight of workers in this country has vastly improved in the past 125 years, thanks to the actions of a small group of illegal members of the Toronto Trades Assembly," said Mr. MacKinnon. "I expect those founders would be pleased to see the steps that have been taken enabling workers to be productive as well as healthy and safe in the workplace.

"Here in Nova Scotia, we have a quality of life that is envied far and wide. That quality of life goes hand in hand with the quality of our workers. In addition, the Department of Labour plays a strong role in protecting employment rights. On behalf of the staff at the department, I would like to thank the labour force for contributing to the well-being of this province and wish all workers a safe and productive year."