Labour Day
Books about the origins of Labour Day & Labour Movements around the globe
Class warrior : the selected works of E. T. Kingsley
Kingsley, E. T., author.
2022
"In October 1890, Eugene T. Kingsley's life changed irrevocably when he was injured in a fall between two rail cars while working as a brakeman on the Northern Pacific Railway. Following the amputation of both his legs, Kingsley became radicalized and joined the Socialist Labor Party in San Francisco. His activism eventually brought him to Vancouver, B.C. where he founded the Socialist Party of Canada. A self-described "uncompromising enemy of class rule and class robbery," Kingsley wrote prolifically on the exploitation of wage slaves by the capitalist class. Also known as a passionate orator, he went on to become one of the most prominent socialist intellectuals of his day. Class Warrior is a collection of Kingsley's writing and speeches that underscores his tremendous impact on Canadian political discourse."-- Provided by publisher.
Kids on strike!
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.
1999
Describes the conditions and treatment that drove workers, including many children, to various strikes, from the mill workers strikes in 1828 and 1836 and the coal strikes at the turn of the century to the work of Mother Jones on behalf of child workers.
Leading progress : the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, 1920-2020
Russell, Jason, 1968- author
2020
"A history of PIPSC (the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada) from 1920 to 2020."-- Provided by publisher.
A new kind of union : Unifor and the birth of the modern Canadian union
Wilson, Fred, 1951- author
2019
No right to an honest living : the struggles of Boston's black workers in the Civil War era
Jones, Jacqueline, 1948- author.
2023
"Before, during, and after the US Civil War, Boston's Black workers were barred from the skilled trades, factory work, and public-works projects. In Boston, as in cities across the North, white abolitionists focused virtually all their energies on the plight of enslaved Black Southerners, while refusing to address the challenges faced by their Black neighbors. The author presents inspiring and heart-wrenching stories of people-from day laborers and domestics to physicians and lawyers-who ingeniously forged careers in the face of monumental obstacles"-- Provided by publisher.
Our members be unlimited : a comic about workers & their unions
Wallman, Sam. author, illustrator.
2022
In our current political climate, people are looking for answers - and alternatives. The promise of unions is that their 'members be unlimited': that they don't belong to the rich, the powerful, or special interests, but to all workers. How did the idea of unionism arise? Where has it flourished? And what are its challenges in the 21st century? From Britain to Bangladesh, from the first union of the 18th century to today, from solidarity in Walmart China to his own experiences in an Amazon warehouse in Melbourne, comics journalist Sam Wallman explores the urge to come together and cooperate that arises again and again in workers and workplaces everywhere.
Stand up for yourself without getting fired : resolve workplace crises before you quit, get axed, or sue the bastards
Ballman, Donna
2012
Union power : solidarity and struggle in Niagara
Patrias, Carmela, 1950-
2012
From factory workers in Welland to retail workers in St. Catharines, from hospitality workers in Niagara Falls to migrant farm workers in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Union Power showcases the role of working people in the Niagara region. Charting the development of the region's labour movement from the early nineteenth century to the present, Patrias and Savage illustrate how workers from this highly diversified economy struggled to improve their lives both inside and outside the workplace. Including extensive quotations from interviews, archival sources, and local newspapers, the story unfolds, in part, through the voices of the people themselves: the workers who fought for unions, the community members who supported them, and the employers who opposed them.
Unjust transition : the future for fossil fuel workers
2024
"In 2019, the Co-op Refinery Complex of the Federated Co-op. of Canada locked out its workers, represented by Unifor Local 594, after negotiations failed. Underlying the bargaining issues was CRC's use of the transition to a "low carbon" future as the justification for cutting wages, demanding concessions on work conditions and reducing the workers' pension plan. This book focuses on the lockout to understand the prospects for a "just transition" away from Canada's dependence on oil and gas; as well as important worker rights--the right to strike and picket; the role of government during strikes and lockouts; occupational health and safety; the need for labour journalism; the state of pensions in collective bargaining; and the state of co-operatives and co-operative values in Canada. But unlike UNIFOR National's calls for a just transition for fossil fuel workers, the CRC lockout provides a case study in the rollback of collective bargaining, worker rights, cooperative spirit and environmental justice. Solidarity between unions and community movements will be absolutely necessary to win a just transition--corporations and governments are poised to make a transition that will be detrimental to workers and communities."-- Provided by publisher.
Working toward achieving workers' rights
Brereton, Catherine, author
2021
The right to be paid for work, to have time off, and to work in a safe environment might seem to us as guaranteed, but throughout history people worldwide have had to campaign and fight for these rights. This book looks at actions such as the matchgirls' strike in 1888 and the campaigns for an end to child labor and for equal pay for women. The struggle by activists continues today with workers being affected by an increasingly global economy, climate change and changing working patterns. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.