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There's never a bad time to talk about unions! This 60-second video, produced by the National Union of Provincial Government Employees (NUPGE), is timely and to introduces young people to the importance of unions.Teaching materialsVideo
"Ghosts" from British Columbia's past visit a new union member to remind them why "labour history matters" in this clever video produced in 2018. Viewers are reminded of the many historical achievements of the labour movement, and why being an...Video
The interview covers Larry Kuehn's extensive involvement with labour and social justice organizations beyond his work with the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF). His time as president of the BCTF is covered in an earlier interview, available in our BCTF Past...Video
The interview covers David Yorke's participation in two pivotal legal challenges, as well as the various labour history projects he has been involved in since his retirement. Two prior interviews by the BC Teachers’ Federation History Project Group cover his...Audio
Jack Henderson (1880-1968) was a labour activist and community leader in Vancouver, Canada. Henderson discusses his long involvement in the labour movement, starting when he joined the Amalgamated Society of Railroad Servants in England in 1896. He describes his experiences...Video
Irene Lanzinger grew up in Kelowna, B.C. She studied physics at the University of British Columbia and worked as a meteorologist before becoming a teacher. She taught in Japan, Saudi Arabia, Abbotsford, and Vancouver. Irene’s union activism with B.C. Teachers’...Video
In 1981, teachers in Terrace, British Columbia, went on a six-day strike, at a time when the right to strike had not yet been achieved. Local teacher associations primarily negotiated wages, with unresolved issues going to binding arbitration; working conditions...Video
This 8-minute video tells the story of the one-day strike by Surrey teachers in 1974 that had a profound effect on public education across the province. With less than 24-hours notice, over 1,000 teachers left their classrooms, travelled to the...Teaching materials
This teaching resource serves as a curriculum application for Social Studies 9, aiming to illuminate the crucial role Indigenous workers played in British Columbia's early economy.Teaching materials
These teaching materials are designed for Social Studies 10 and Social Justice 12, addressing the essential question of challenges women face in unionizing compared to men and how these circumstances have evolved. View Steam Laundries Strike Teaching Materials (PDF)Teaching materials
These teaching materials are a case study on workplace health and safety, focusing on two sawmill explosions in British Columbia: Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake and Lakeland Mill in Prince George.Teaching materials
This video series offers a comprehensive look into the evolution of workplace health and safety in British Columbia. Designed for audiences such as secondary students and those undergoing union orientation, the focus is on individual workers’ stories and tragic events.Teaching materials
"Youth, Unions, and You: A Secondary Teacher’s Guide to Labour Studies for BC Schools” (2001) is a resource guide developed as a joint project by the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Federation of Labour, with financial backing from the...Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the Surrey Teachers’ Association office, 9030 King George Blvd, Surrey BC. It was developed with the support of the Surrey Teachers’ Association. The plaque was cast at Ornamental Bronze, a unionized foundry in Richmond...Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the Terrace Sportsplex, 3320 Kalum St, Terrace, BC. It was developed with the support of the Terrace District Teachers’ Union. The plaque was cast at Ornamental Bronze, a unionized foundry in Richmond which has...Teaching materials
This unit was developed for BC’s Social Justice 12 course by the Labour History Project, a partnership between the Labour Heritage Centre and the BC Teachers’ Federation with additional support from the BC Federation of Labour and the SFU Labour...Teaching materials
Designed for secondary students and union orientation classes, this case study provides a historical perspective on asbestos exposure in British Columbia. Participants are encouraged to consider the ongoing dangers of asbestos for workers and their families and to discuss the...Teaching materials
Designed for secondary students and union orientation classes, this case study guides participants to identify occupational health and safety concerns at the Stave Lake Quarry leading to the untimely death of a new and inexperienced worker.Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the New Westminster Secondary School Library at 835 8th St. New Westminster, BC. It was developed with the support of the BC Teachers’ Federation, the BOAG Foundation, and the BC Retired Teachers’ Association. The...Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the Langley Teachers’ Association office, 5786 Glover Road, Langley BC. It was developed with the support of the Langley Teachers’ Association. The plaque was cast at Ornamental Bronze, a unionized foundry in Richmond which...Historical materials
The Daniel McLeod fonds dates from 1976 to 1980 and consists of McLeod’s research, conducted as a student at Simon Fraser University (SFU), primarily focused on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the organization Teamsters for a Democratic Union.Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the former location of King Edward High School at Oak St. and 12th Ave. in Vancouver BC. It was developed with the support of the BC Teachers’ Federation, the BOAG Foundation, and the BC...Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at South Park School in Victoria, BC. It was developed with the support of the BC Teachers’ Federation, the BOAG Foundation, and the BC Retired Teachers’ Association. The plaque was cast at Ornamental Bronze, a...Historical materials
The Labour History Association was formed within the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) in 1976. It produced this series of newsletters which remain a valuable source of labour history in British Columbia.They focus on promoting and integrating labour history into the...Booklet
This handbook compiles advice from multiple sources into a usable document for smaller organizations seeking to preserve their historic records.Historical materials
The BC Teachers' Federation has produced a regular publication each school year since 1919 to highlight news, events and stories relevant to BC teachers and their profession. The title and format of the newspaper has changed over time. Visit the...Booklet
This booklet explains the reasons for New Westminster teachers' strike in 1921, its impact on students, parents and schools, the outcome and its relevance to the history of bargaining rights for teachers province-wide.Booklet
The "Langley Affair" of 1939-1940 details a significant struggle by Langley teachers, primarily women, to enforce an arbitrated salary award against their school board. This event is a key part of the history of BC teachers' quest for full bargaining...Booklet
In 1981, Terrace public school teachers participated in a six-day strike that significantly contributed to the BC teachers' struggle for full collective bargaining rights, which were not officially achieved until 1987. The strike, considered "illegal" at the time, was prompted...Booklet
The document, "Canada's First Teachers' Strike: Victoria 1919," by Tony F. Arruda, details the historic two-day teachers' strike in Victoria, British Columbia, in February 1919. On Monday, February 10, 1919, 169 teachers from the Victoria and District Teachers' Association (VDTA)...Booklet
This booklet describes the details of a landmark one-day strike by the Surrey Teachers’ Association in 1974. With just 48-hours notice, 1,000 teachers voted to take their dispute with the Surrey School Board to the legislature in Victoria.Teaching materials
In 1939, Connie Jervis, 24 year old President of the Langley Teachers’ Association, led a successful fight for improved system of wages and compulsory arbitration. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Video
Sandra Banister was born and raised in Vancouver; her mother was a stay-at-home mum and her father was an IBEW lineman. Sandra got an undergraduate degree in political science and then a law degree at UBC, articling with John Laxton...Video
This interview with Leo McGrady, a prominent labour lawyer in British Columbia, covers his extensive career and involvement in the labour movement. He describes his early life and upbringing in an Irish Catholic family, and how social justice issues influenced...Video
John Rogers was raised in Kamloops, BC. His father was the local welfare officer and John remembers some of the cases his dad was involved in. He also recalls the First Nations community on the other side of the river....Video
Elsie Dean, 99 years old at the time of this interview, grew up in Saskatchewan during the 1920s and ‘30s. She describes the impact of the Depression on her family’s livelihood. Educated to Grade 8 in a one-room school, Elsie...Video
In this interview, Bonnie Pearson talks about growing up in Saskatchewan and the early influence of her activist parents. Bonnie details her early union involvement as a national representative with CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) in 1980s; the Devine...Video
Harold Steves was born in Vancouver in 1937 and grew up on his family’s farm in Steveston. It was a diverse farming and fishing community of Japanese, Chinese, Ukrainian, and First Nations families. An early memory of Harold’s just before...Video
John Calvert was born in Oshawa, Ontario and grew up in London, Ontario. In his late teens, he obtained a commercial pilot’s license, which meant that he could help pay for his post-secondary education by working as a bush pilot...Video
Carmela Allevato was born in a small town in Southern Italy in 1962. Her family emigrated to Canada when she was 11 years old and settled in Toronto where her parents worked in manufacturing and factory jobs. After graduating high...Video
Paul Ramsey was born in the United States in 1944. His father was an engineer and a Democrat, who served as a council member for 16 years in the suburb where Paul grew up. Paul aspired to be an academic...Audio
In 1921, 88 public school teachers (most of them young women) initiated a five-day strike to demand recognition of their union and the right to arbitration in salary negotiations. Their unprecedented action was only the second recorded teachers’ strike in...Video
As a founding Board Member of BC Labour Heritage Centre, Mervyn Van Steinburg recounts his story of a worklife spent in service to BC’s unionized community. In this interview, Brother Van Steinburg recounts his union beginnings as an electrician member...Video
Mae Burrows details her early life and influences, and then her work with the Labour Environmental Alliance Society (LEAS) which brought together trade unionists and environmentalists at a time when logging companies were instigating the “war in the woods.” This...Video
Born in 1932 in a small Saskatchewan town, Sheila Pither came to Vancouver with her mother after the death of her father. Sheila’s husband was a millwright in Vancouver, and she became active in the International Woodworkers of America (IWA)...Video
George Brandak is a key figure in the archival history of labour in British Columbia. This interview was collected by Allen Seager on May 30, 2019 in Burnaby, BC. It is part of our Oral History Collection.Video
Lloyd Edwards came to BC from Trinidad in 1953 and got his first teaching job in 1957 on Texada Island. He taught in several BC communities before settling in Surrey. As President of the Surrey Teachers’ Association in 1974, he...Video
Bernice Kirk began her union career at the Coquitlam School Board, and became the Secretary-Treasurer and President of CUPE BC, as well as a Vice President of the National CUPE Board. This interview was conducted by Ken Novakowski and Blair...Video
An East Van boy, Ken Bauder initially worked in construction before ending up in longshoring. He was Secretary Treasurer of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada from 2004-2010. He was instrumental in a project called (Re)claiming the New Westminster...Video
Muriel Overgaard was born in Elbow, Saskatchewan in 1920. She went on to become the first female President of CUPE BC, serving from 1976-1980, and ran as an MLA for the NDP. She played a significant role in establishing CUPE’s...Video
Kate Braid is a carpenter and a poet, writing about her experiences as a female working in the male-dominated construction trades. She was born in Calgary, AB and was elected to the executive of the BC Regional Council of Carpenters....Video
Clive Lytle was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1937. He went to University for his Bachelors of Arts degree, and was recommended to apply for a research position at the BC Federation of Labour. This interview was conducted by Ken...Video
John Jensen was a Danish-born union and community activist in Northwestern BC He was an active member of the Carpenters’ Union and a delegate to the Kitimat and Terrace District Labour Council for 50 years. This interview was donated to...
