Project News, 1938
Project News was a publication of the Relief Project Workers’ Union (RPWU) The RPWU was successor to the Relief Camp Workers’ Union, a creation of the Workers’ Unity League which had led the 1935 strike that culminated in the On-to-Ottawa Trek and Regina Riot.
The two issues are:
Vol. III, No. 5 (January 8, 1938)
Vol. III, No. 6 (January 20, 1938)
The federal relief camps run by the Department of National Defence were shut down following the election in 1935. They were replaced by “relief projects” operated by the provinces. The work was primarily seasonal work on farms. In early 1938, the federal government cut grants in aid to the provinces, effectively killing the relief project scheme. Unemployed men again flocked to Vancouver to protest government insensitivity and intransigence to their plight. The RCPU organized demonstrations and tin-canning in the city. Their office was at 60 W. Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC.
These copies of Project News from January 1938 advocate for the unionization of camps and a permanent works program.
Key topics include:
● Worker Arrests and Protests – Forty-five single unemployed men, some of whom were project workers, were arrested in Vancouver after demonstrating for relief and being denied it. They paraded with cans and placards, leading to their arrest and subsequent court appearances where some were remanded or found guilty.
● Unionization and Membership Drives – The document emphasizes the critical role of organization and union membership for project workers to secure better conditions and a permanent work and wage scheme. It highlights that the current Works Program is a direct result of the Relief Project Workers’ Union’s organizational efforts. A strong membership drive is encouraged to achieve a “100% Union”.
● Radio Program – The Union’s Entertainment Committee successfully arranged a half-hour radio program on New Year’s Day, featuring talented amateurs from Cultus Lake Camp. Due to its popularity, the local station offered a weekly slot on the CBC Radio Program. The program aimed to foster friendship and understanding between local people and project workers, and to advocate for a permanent work and wage scheme.
● International Solidarity – The newspaper features a letter from a BC Relief Project Worker fighting with the International Brigade in Spain against Fascism, highlighting the global struggle for freedom and the Vancouver representation in this fight. A Vancouver businessman, M. Leo Sweeney, is quoted as advocating for “Nazi Methods” in Canada and BC.
● Union Button – A new metal union button is being arranged for issuance due to popular demand, differing in size and quality from older ones.
● Union Songs – The document includes lyrics for two union songs: In the Sweet Bye and Bye and The Rebel Girl.