Injunctions, Labour Heritage Moment Video
In the 1960s, court injunctions became a prevalent tactic used by employers to control labour. This led to frequent jailings of union leaders for defying these injunctions. Sean Griffin humorously recounts a common anecdote of a judge granting an injunction as if waking from a dream.
This video is part of our Labour Heritage Moments series.
A notable instance occurred in 1966 when ten local union presidents of the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) were jailed. Their offense was instructing members to disregard an injunction that mandated work on Victoria Day. Even a direct appeal to the Queen failed to secure permission for her subjects to observe her birthday.
Les Copan, President of Local 500, vividly described the moment the union presidents were taken to Oakalla, the provincial prison, on a Saturday morning after an injunction was granted to force them to work as the Queen’s birthday. While incarcerated, the union leaders forged connections with other inmates, including an Indigenous artist who presented them with a carving upon their release. This artwork, by an unnamed artist, is now prominently displayed in the ILWU dispatch hall in Chemainus, BC