As Canadian Labour prepares to observe their day; the politicians offer their salutes and some thoughts

The Winnipeg General Strike, a pivotal moment for labour history
in Canada, made for some of the theme for the
Labour Day Statement from Prime Minister Trudeau today

Across Canada today, members of organized labour will gather at picnics, marches and other celebrations to pay tribute to those who advocated and in some cases fought for their right to organize and create better working conditions and pay for Canadians from coast to coast.

From Ottawa, the Prime Minister issued his annual Labour Day commentary, this year calling to the history books with a review of the Winnipeg General Strike and its importance to the Labour movement and Canada.

“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike, one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history. It launched a labour movement that fought for – and won – many of the benefits and protections Canadian workers can count on today. From universal health care to fair wages, weekends, and paid vacations, the movement transformed the lives of millions of Canadians, and laid the foundations of a growing economy and a strong middle class."

You can review his full statement here, a correspondence which at times shifts into a campaign speech it seems.

Premier John Horgan also shares a few thoughts on Labour today,  a missive that pays tribute to British Columbia's workers and like the Federal statement also finds a bit of time for a review of some recent steps from government on the labour file

“The rights we enjoy today would not exist without the hard-fought victories of unions. Minimum wage, weekends and holidays, job security, parental leave, vacation and overtime pay, protection from discrimination and harassment, and safety standards, are the result of collective action grounded in the belief that all working people deserve to be treated fairly."

Mr. Horgan's full address can be reviewed here.

For Prince Rupert, one event taking place is at Mariner's Park where MLA Jennifer Rice will be on hand to salute the workers of the region and offer up something off the grill as part of her day in Prince Rupert.

Ms. Rice relayed the Premier's wishes today through her Facebook page, that after offering her own salute to Labour on Friday.

So far, Mayor Lee Brain has not followed the lead of the other levels of government with his own tribute to Labour on behalf of the City of Prince Rupert; should the city make comment we will update our notes accordingly.

For more items of interest related to Labour issues in the Northwest see our archive page here.


To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.