The War as a Determinant of Canadian Labour Relations.
The war solved the unemployment problems of the 1930s, but the improved economy also raised expectations among industrial workers. While some accepted the exigencies of the war, others were discontent with their working conditions and unhappy with the controls on their wages. Trade union membership rose dramatically.
Eager to avoid strikes, the federal government tried various means of promoting harmony between labour and management. It encouraged, for example, joint committees on production. Such committees were not, however, effective in preventing all strikes.
Management's refusal to recognize or negotiate with the members of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers at Kirkland Lake, Ontario, resulted in a major strike. This photograph shows some Kirkland Lake miners in front of their union hall in November 1941 at the beginning of the strike. Despite their determination to stick to their union, the strike collapsed in three months. The employees had little choice but to accept their employer's terms, although some preferred to leave the area or join the armed forces.
Federal legislation passed in 1944 provided guidelines for labour relations. Order-in-Council P.C.1003 defined and prohibited unfair labour practices, established a labour relations board, and provided new regulations for collective bargaining between employers and unions chosen by a majority of the workers.
