Showing 77 results

Masue Tagashira discusses her husband’s illness, learning English, working in a barbership, her religious life, housework, childbirth, and raising children.

Masue Tagashira discusses her immigration from Japan to Canada in 1927, her life in Japan prior to moving, and the differences between rural life in Japan and Canada. She also discusses life, work and wages on logging camps.

Alice Person discusses segregation on hops farms, her daily duties, as well as living/working conditions on the farm. She also talks about domestic work, and changes in employment with the breakout of World War II, particularly for women.

Mrs. Atwal, Mrs. Maan, Mrs. Johal and Mrs. Gill talk about managing a working class wage including not being able to afford going to a restaurant, the importance of women raising animals and gardening to feed the family, and taking on menial jobs; how despite their poverty they all enjoyed those early times; Mrs. Johal tells a story of finding her cow in the house eating her knitting; living in housing owned by the mill companies; their responsibility towards family members including helping those immigrating during their first years in Canada; their experiences working outside the home, including in nursing and as agricultural labourers.

Mrs. Atwal, Mrs Maan, Mrs. Johal talk about immigrating from India and their early years in Canada; Mrs. Gill talks about her experiences as a Canadian-born, raised and educated woman. The women talk abut their arranged marriages, their children’s rejection of the same, and about their lives as logger’s wives and living conditions in Lake Cowichan in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Eileen Sufrin discusses reasons for organizing, and attitudes towards unions during the war. She also discusses her personal reasons for becoming involved in the labour movement, her activity with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, moving from Ontario to British Columbia, and factionalization within the labour movement.

Eileen Sufrin continues her discussion of factionalization within the labour movement, and the union’s involvement in women’s issues. She discusses the types of women in the workforce, and the differing needs of these groups (married women as opposed to single women, for example). Finally, she discusses white collar unionism and organizing department stores, touching upon her experience organizing Eatons in Toronto.

Eileen Sufrin discusses changes in employment and the status of women from the prewar period, through World War II, and into the postwar period.

Eileen Sufrin discusses women’s issues in unions, her experience as a woman being involved with union work. She also discusses her experiences organizing Eatons in Toronto, as well as the end of her labour career.

Mona Morgan discusses activism amongst housewives after the war, and her personal experiences with social movements.

Mona Morgan discusses her election to the executive of Local 107, the activities undertaken by Women’s Auxiliaries, the organization of social events, and recruitment techniques. She also discusses cultural differences between the past and present, the On to Ottawa trek, houswives organizing after the war, and red baiting.

Mona Morgan discusses the position of women in the union and the wood industry, and societal changes for women during and after World War II. She also discusses racism within the industry and the union.

Mrs. Atwal, Mrs. Maan, Mrs. Johal and Mrs. Gill talk about the dangers of forestry jobs; criticism of the union for supporting workers charged with working unsafely even if the worker is in the wrong; how the union helped them get holiday pay and retirement pensions; the ways women support the union during strikes such as feeding people on the line; how women had to be very careful of household budgeting.

Mona Morgan discusses the Women’s Auxiliary, and the living conditions of women married to loggers. She also discusses the attitudes of men towards women’s organization, and the 1946 Strike.

Mona Morgan discusses how she got involved with the labour movement, including details about her early life, the Great Depression, and her first jobs in Vancouver as a housekeeper and in the office of B.C. Plywoods. She talks about her firing from the mill, her involvement with the International Woodworkers of America (IWA), and the pushback people receive when they stand up for their rights. She talks about wages, hours, living conditions, and safety for housekeepers and mill employees.

Marge Dalskog talks about her husband Ernie’s work with the Woodworker’s Union of Canada around 1947 and subsequent blacklisting; her participation in the radio show “Five Minutes with Mona” (Mona Morgan); and why the Auxiliary was important to the union and the women who participated.

Marge Dalskog talks about how she met her second husband during the IWA’s fight to leave the International (1946); writing and reporting for the Richmond Times and writing her column “Hold the Line, Please” for the union paper; life on Lulu Island in the 1940’s; how women reacted to the changes in the workplace post-war; how working women found childcare; disputes with the press during the 1946 International fight; reasons for the local IWA wanting to leave the US-based International; attacks on union organizers for their political beliefs.

Mona Morgan discusses isolation amongst homemakers and the necessity of joint responsibility for the home. She also discusses women’s rights, including their inability to vote in civic elections. Finally, she discusses McCarthyism in the unions, and her experiences running for civic office.

Ruth Bullock discusses factionalization within leftist parties and labour organizations, particularly as such factionalization affected attitudes towards the war. She also discusses how women were politicized during the war, and her experiences within women’s auxiliaries.

Nancy Buker discusses living at the Humphrey Creek logging camp with her husband, and her short term job in the kitchen. She also further discusses notable incidents at the shipyard, her feelings towards the war effort, what she learned from her time on the job, and advice for the next generation of women.

Nancy Buker discusses her family’s immigration from Scotland to Saskatchewan in 1920, and her subsequent experiences growing up in the area. She also talks about moving to and living in Vancouver during the Great Depression and World War II. She discusses working in the shipyards of Vancouver and the Burrard Dry Dock (finding work, first day on the job, daily duties, working with men), and joining the steamfitters and plumbers union, and becoming shop steward. Finally, she discusses social life within the union.

May Martin discusses her takeover of the union office with Emily Nuttall, her opposition towards the International, and her expulsion from the union. She also discusses turnover in the industry and the position of women in the union.

May Martin discusses the Milwaukee Convention, the struggle for leadership of the union, and her expulsion from the union.

May Martin continues discussion of The Night Order. She also discusses organizing, and living/working conditions in the Yukon. She discusses experiences of waitresses with sex work and sexual harassment, and the changing image of waitressing as a profession. Finally, she discusses contract demands, bartenders’ attitudes towards waitresses, and begins discussing the Milwaukee Convention.

May Martin discusses her election to business agent of the Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union, methods for organizing restaurants, the role of business agent, and the push to procure transportation home after night shifts (The Night Order).