BC Trades Unionist, 1908-1909
The BC Trades Unionist was a newspaper published by the Vancouver Trades and Labor Council (VTLC) in 1908 and 1909. It served as an important voice for the organized labor movement in Vancouver during a period of significant activity. Visit the BC Trades Unionist digital archive (external link).
Initially, the newspaper was simply titled “The Trades Unionist.” From May 1908 onwards, it adopted the name “The BC Trades Unionist.”
The VTLC, founded in 1889, was deeply involved in advocating for workers’ rights and conditions in British Columbia.
The newspaper provided a platform for:
● Summaries of meetings and attendees
● Sharing information relevant to union members
● Local, national and international labour news
● Advisory and critical editorials
● Promoting industrial and political unity: A core goal of the labor council was to consolidate the efforts of different unions in the city to achieve common objectives.
● Highlighting workers’ problems
● Advertisements from vendors of union goods and services
During 1909, the VTLC was actively planning for a new Labor Temple. The paper preceded the “Western Wage-Earner” which the VTLC also published from 1909-1911.
The digitized collection of “The BC Trades Unionist” is available through UBC Library Open Collections, offering valuable insights into the early 20th-century labour history of British Columbia.