Saving Your Union’s History Handbook
This handbook compiles advice from multiple sources into a usable document for smaller organizations seeking to preserve their historic records.
Topics include:
● Creating a plan
● Getting organized
● Setting up a filing system
● What to save
● What to discard
● How to create a list of holdings
● Basic supplies required
● Storage options
The handbook was created by the BC Labour Heritage Centre in 2022 and revised in 2025.
Related Resources
The Union Archive that Almost Didn’t Make It, Podcast Ep. 16
The International Woodworkers of America (IWA) Annex Archive opened in 2019 in Lake Cowichan, BC: home of the first IWA local in the province. It is a proud achievement and crucial repository for the ...
Bill Routley Interview: From the Sawmill to the Legislature
Bill Routley was born in 1948 in Chatham, Ontario. He was the son of two ministers who raised him in Duncan, on Vancouver Island. The treatment of employees at a shoe repair business in Victoria kindl...
Neil Menard Interview: Forest Worker, IWA Vice-President, Mayor
Neil Menard was born in Nipawin, in northern Saskatchewan. Neil joined the navy and served as signalman on the HMCS Fraser and the HMCS St. Laurent. When he returned from the navy, Neil worked a few y...
Bill Shukalak Fonds
The Bill Shukalak fonds, dating from 1950 to 1990, comprising 166 photographs and various ephemera. Bill Shukalak was a union member who worked in construction camps across British Columbia and Albert...
Glen Edwards Interview: Leading Through Change on the Waterfront
At the time of this interview, Glen Edwards was President of Local 505 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Prince Rupert BC This interview was conducted by Rod Mickleburgh and...
Frances Foxcroft: BC’s Labour Hero
Frances Foxcroft probably saved the life of Vancouver Trades and Labor Council Secretary Victor Midgely on the afternoon of August 2, 1918. Despite her heroism, Foxcroft has received little historical...