September 1 is Labour Day
Canadian Labour Day has its roots in a Toronto printer’s revolt in 1872, where labourers demanded a nine-hour workday. Employers refused, and the workers walked off the job. When a rally – the first Canadian rally for workers’ rights - was organized for April 15 of that year, 10,000 people showed up at Queen’s Park. In those days, union activity was criminal, and then Toronto Globe publisher George Brown had the strike committee of the Toronto Typographers’ Union (TTU) arrested for criminal conspiracy.
Torontonians applauded as the unionists marched through the streets. In speeches that followed, trade union leaders demanded freedom for the TTU prisoners and better conditions for all workers.
The Toronto parade inspired leaders in Ottawa. A few months later, on September 3, seven unions in the nation's capital organized a parade more than a mile long, headed by an artillery band.
These and other pressures led Prime Minister John A. Macdonald to repeal several anti-union laws and to release the organizers of the protests. By the end of 1872, the despised laws had been stricken from the statute books.
The JLP promotes collaboration through its mandate and activities. In particular, the Labour-Management Consultation in-person workshop and virtual discussion sessions help foster, safety and cooperation in the workplace. Today, the JLP recognizes the importance of the work of unions, and the valuable partnership and collaboration of labour-management consultations.