Uniting Woodworkers Across Ethnic Divides, Podcast Ep. 8
The International Woodworkers of America (IWA) defied deep-seated racism in BC’s forest industry by hiring Asian organizers. Their efforts helped integrate thousands of workers into the union.This episode of our On the Line podcast highlights the pioneering efforts of Roy Mah, Darshan Singh Sangha, and Joe Miyazawa; three Asian Canadian organizers who played instrumental roles in uniting workers across racial divides.
Publication date: May 24, 2021
Podcast length: 29:07
Hosted by: Rod Mickleburgh
Research and writing by: Patricia Wejr and Rod Mickleburgh
Production by: John Mabbott
Mah, a Chinese Canadian veteran, brought thousands of workers into the union by advocating for equal pay and supporting them beyond the workplace. Sangha, a young Sikh Communist, energized Punjabi-speaking workers on Vancouver Island, helping end discriminatory pay practices and contributing to broader political campaigns for the right to vote. Miyazawa, a Japanese Canadian who had been interned during the war, organized sawmill workers in the Interior and later became the IWA’s associate director of research.
These stories are set against the backdrop of racist legislation, discriminatory employment systems like the tyee labour contractor model, and a labour movement that had historically excluded non-white workers. Yet the IWA’s commitment to equality, expressed through actions such as a Canada Day parade float proclaiming “Equal Pay for Equal Work for All,” helped shift the landscape of BC’s labour history.
Featuring archival interviews and period songs, this episode sheds light on a lesser-known but vitally important chapter in the province’s labour movement.