Barney McGuire Interview: Mine-Mill Organizer
Barney McGuire (1916-1995) was a hardrock miner, born and raised in Alice Arm, BC In 1933 he began working in mines throughout BC, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and later in eastern Canada after being blacklisted for his union activity. In 1946 he became an organizer for the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (Mine-Mill).
The interview was conducted in the 1960s by the BC Federation of Labour in anticipation of the publication of No Power Greater: A Century of Labour in BC (1967). Interviewers were author Paul Phillips and UBC student Bill Piket. The original tapes were digitized by the BC Labour Heritage Centre in 2024.
Barney McGuire, 1986, Pacific Tribune Photo MSC160-1341_18A
Barney McGuire began his union involvement in 1933 in mining camps and became an organizer for the Mine Mill and Smelter Workers Union in 1946, covering British Columbia, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and eastern Canada. He recounts early union activities, including the Anyox strike in 1933, and the establishment of Mine-Mill locals like Local 300 in Salmo in 1936 and Local 271 at Bralorne in 1935.
The interview delves into the decline of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM), which was largely replaced by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in many camps around 1915-1920. McGuire attributes the WFM’s decline to its shift from a militant union to a “company union,” as detailed in Big Bill Haywood’s book. He notes the IWW took over the WFM’s hall in Sandon and had contracts and conducted strikes in the Nelson area.
A significant portion of the interview addresses the challenges faced by Mine-Mill, including internal divisions, particularly the lingering resentment from past conflicts between the WFM and IWW. McGuire highlights the financial strategy of Mine-Mill, which relied on larger locals like Trail, Kimberley, and especially Sudbury, to finance strikes in other areas. However, the loss of Sudbury significantly weakened the union.
McGuire criticizes Mine-Mill’s leadership under Harvey Murphy, especially concerning secret agreements with mining companies in new open-pit mines that undermined workers’ interests. He claims Murphy signed these long-term agreements to keep out the Steelworkers Union, even at the cost of the workers’ welfare. McGuire believes Mine-Mill’s current existence serves the employers’ wishes rather than the workers’. He also touches on the political aspects, accusing Murphy of sabotaging the NDP’s efforts through non-registration of voters, thus aiding Social Credit candidates.
McGuire discusses the 1934 miners’ strike in Anyox where military and police were used to suppress the union.
McGuire mentions Morris Peterson, a former IWW organizer in the Prince George to Prince Rupert area during the 1920s and early 1930s, who was blackballed for his union activities. Other individuals mentioned include George Casey, former secretary of the Rossland Miners Union, and Bill Butler, a charter member of the Salmo local.