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BC at Work, Episode 3, was first broadcast on September 18, 1988. It was produced by Michael Morgan and Associates and Shane Lunny Productions for the BC Federation of Labour as a public affairs television program. This episode was filmed...Video
Fred Wilson recounts his life and work in the labour movement, including his early involvement with the Young Communist League, his time as a labour reporter at the Pacific Tribune, his role in the Operation Solidarity movement, and his work...Audio
For most of the 20th century, garment workers (mostly women) sewed, pressed and wove fabric on factory assembly lines throughout the Lower Mainland, before the domestic industry began to decline with globalization. This episode of On the Line features an...Teaching materials
The story of company towns and their unique role and legacy in the economic and social fabric of the province, with a specific focus on the west coast town of Ocean Falls. See the rest of our Working People Lesson...Teaching materials
This film captures pieces of working life at North Vancouver’s Burrard Dry Dock during WWII, when women entered the workforce in previously unheard-of numbers. Students will explore the role of women in wartime industry, the effect of the wartime production...Teaching materials
This film highlights the work undertaken by Helena Gutteridge, a tailor, suffragette, politician and advocate for working-class women. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Audio
A 1966 wildcat strike by 400 mostly women members of the Electrical Workers’ union was a turning point in the province, at a time when courts regularly jailed and fined union members during disputes. In this episode of On the...Article
The early 1900s was a time of rapid industrialization in Canada and around the world. Clothing production became mechanized, and garment workers, largely women, often immigrants from Europe, were subjected to inhumane conditions in assembly-line factories. The 1911 fire at...Video
David Fairey’s parents were working class immigrants from the U.K. His father was a carpenter and cabinet maker and his mother worked in domestic service, sewing at home, and in furniture and aircraft factories. After he finished high school, David...Video
Peter Cameron was chief shop steward at the Phillips Cables plant in Vancouver, the first plant certified with the Canadian Electrical Workers, which merged with CAIMAW (Canadian Association of Industrial Mechanical and Electrical Workers) in 1969. He served on the...Audio
Unions have been fighting since the 1970s for strict regulations in the use of asbestos and decent compensation for those ill and dying from its deadly fibres. People are still getting sick from exposure decades ago. In this episode of...Audio
We are reviving Pins and Needles, a wildly successful musical revue with progressive politics and an unlikely origin from the factory floor. The Broadway show was created and performed entirely by members of the garment workers’ union: factory workers, cutters,...Video
Jess Succamore arrived in Canada from England in 1952. He worked in a variety of jobs around British Columbia. He is best known for leading the campaign for independent Canadian unions. In this lengthy interview, Succamore recalls his relationships with...Video
Cathy Walker was born in Vancouver, BC in 1949 and grew up in Burnaby. Her father was a member of the Machinists Union which influenced her perspective while growing up. She attended Simon Fraser University (SFU) during a time of...Video
Jef Keighley was born in Vancouver, BC in 1950. He spent time working in Jamaica through the Canadian University Service Overseas. He worked in the automotive and construction industries before becoming involved in the Canadian Association of Industrial, Mechanical and...
