Labour Day is one of the oldest traditions in Canada.
The first Monday in September has been the day to recognize the labour movement and workers’ rights ever since it became a national statutory holiday in 1894 — just 35 years after Confederation brought Canada into existence.
“Labour Day is kind of the backbone of our society right now, it’s the reason you have weekends off, it’s the reason you get paid overtime — the unions have fought for the rights of the citizens in Canada for a long time and this is the one day a year we can let everyone know this is the reason for it,” said Chris Mansel, service representative for the Prince George chapter (Local 1611) of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).
“Everybody gets Labour Day off and it is a stat holiday for them but some of them don’t understand why, and that’s the purpose of Labour Day — to let them know why we are there,” he said.
Mansel admits he didn’t give Labour Day much thought as a kid growing up in Prince George. It was just another holiday, but that changed at age 17 once he entered the workforce as a tradesman.
He quickly learned many of the workplace protections Canadians now take for granted grew out of the Industrial Revolution, when trade unions were considered illegal and workers faced hardships from their employers and governments — until the organized labour movement became established.
“I think the biggest part of the younger generation doesn’t realize what Labour Day or unions are,” said Mansel. “I was the same way when I was growing up. I’m 35 now and when I got into construction and the unions I was about 17 and I had no idea.
“My mother has been in the unions a long time and my dad came over from Wales, where unions are big, so my parents are both union people and I can remember being six years old and trying to get into the movie theatre (in Prince George) and there was a strike for the projectionists. I didn’t understand when my mom said, ‘No, you can’t cross that (picket) line,’ and it took me a while to get into that kind of mindset of why I couldn’t cross that line.”
On Labour Day — Monday, Sept. 1 — the local chapters of at least 17 unions in Prince George are sponsoring the Labour Day Celebration & March — a free picnic at Canada Games Plaza from 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., and everyone is invited.
The march will begin at 10:30 a.m., and union workers and their families will hold up signs in a show of solidarity as they parade through the downtown streets.
LiUNA’s Prince George chapter represents concrete workers, general labourers, security guards, healthcare workers and road construction flaggers.
Mansel, chair of the Labour Day Organizing Committee, has invited a representative of the Air Canada flight attendants’ CUPE local. The attendants reached a tentative agreement Aug. 19, which ended a nearly four-day strike, and he was hoping that person will speak at the Labour Day picnic — but doubts that will happen with the airline going full-tilt to make up for the cancelled flights during the strike.
“They were ordered back to work but then you see what they did there and they just said, ‘No, we’re not going back to work,’” said Mansel. “I hate to say it but, legally, they’re not allowed to do that — but that’s their right to do that.”
He’s also invited someone from the postal workers union to speak on Monday, but said that’s unlikely given they are currently involved in labour talks to try to reach a settlement with the federal government.
“Any unions that are in and around Prince George are more than welcome to get on stage and speak about what they’re going through right now,” said Mansel.
The picnic lunch means free hot dogs, drinks and snacks, supplied by the sponsoring union locals. Musicians and guest speakers will also be on hand for the all-ages family event to perform on the Canada Games Plaza stage. The mini railway will be set up at the site, along with a bouncy castle, to keep kids entertained. All entertainment attractions will be free of charge.
The list of participating and/or sponsoring unions includes: Canadian Labour Congress, Construction Maintenance & Allied Workers Union Local 1998, Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 812, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 399, CNC Students’ Union, Health Sciences Association, Industrial Workers of the World, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, North Central Labour Council, North-East Area Council of Public Service Alliance of Canada, Prince George District Teachers Association, Professional Employees Association, Teamsters Local 843, United Steelworkers Local 1-2017, and UNBC Faculty Association.
Those and other organizations will establish a presence for the event.
“There’s probably more to come — at least 10 more,” said Mansel. “We’re waiting for the sponsors to come in. Any time one of the unions says they will come in and set up a booth or even donate to the event, they will be listed as a sponsor there.”
