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CLC HOLDS DOCUMENTARY PROOF

Labor Day began in Canadé

Veteran unionist John W.

Buckley has unearthed docu-

mentation now in possession of the Canadian Labor Congress
in Ottawa, showing that Labor Day had its origin in Canada.

Now celebrated on the North American continent, Labor
Day is officially chronicled as being founded by Peter J.
McGuire, a Socialist, who launched the original Carpenters’

Union.

In a letter in 1954, to George Meany, president of the

AFL-CIO, Buckley referred to his findings (see his article
below) saying: “You will note I have made no mention of the
claim that it (Labor Day) originated with Peter J. McGuire.”

...Buckley insists that, while McGuire might well take justi-
fiable credit for initiating the Labor Day idea in the US.,
history will show that the thought of a “demonstration” of
labor one day a year was already in practice in Canada when
McGuire first made mention of it in 1882.

By JOHN W. BUCKLEY

Labor Day has long been re-
cognized in Canada as the
day set apert by legal enact-
ment, dedicated to the wealth
producers hy hand or brain.
Ti is the day above all others
when we demonstrate our un-
ited strength by community
meetings, and give public ut-
terance to those objectives
that are our common goal, to
a new socia! order founded on
justice, the elimination of
tear and want, a higher stand-
ard of living, and participa-
tion in an expanding ratio of
those things which are creat-
ed by our productive skills,
and which we make possible
*¢ all mankind, in a material
age of technological progress.

As trade unionists we can
now look back upon the past
and the progress we have
made since 1872, when the
frst Labor Day celebration
was held on the North Ameri-
ean continent, by the trade
unionists of Toronto, under
the auspices of the Toronto
Trades Assembly. For it was

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in that year that Toronto
‘Lypographical Union went on
strike for a 9-hour work day,
and 24 members of the print-
ers executive were arrested
as being a Combination in
Restraint of Trade.

We find in the records of
the Toronto Trades Assembly
ior the month of April 1872
that delegate Hewitt of the
Coopers’ union moved that a
special committee be appoint-
ed having for its object a
workingmar’s demonstration
and a picnic on Thanksgiving
Day, April 15, 1872. This be-
came an arnual event during
the eighteen-seventies, and
prior to 1882 they were mak-
ing an annual pilgrimage to
Toronto Exhibition grounds.

* * *

In a special feature article
of three and a half columns
:n the Toronto Globe, July
24, 1882, with headlines ‘“Mon-
ster Demonstration,” it says
mn part:

“It is estimated that-the de-
monstration of the . Trades
and Labor Council of Toron-
to, Saturday, July 22nd, was
witnessed by 50,000 people.
Its success was greater than
anticipated and was equal to
anything witnessed in Great

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Britain at similar demonstra-
tions of the trade unions. Be-
tween three and four thous-
and trade unionists partici-
pated in the parade.”

At 12 noon the procession
began passing the Albert Hall,
preceded by the Grand Mar-
snal, Mr. Beecher, on horse-
back. Following were two
eabs with the officers of the
Trades Council, and at the
heed of the parade marched
75 delegates to the Toronto
Trades Council.

There were Deputy Mar-
shals along the route of the
earede, which included mili-
tary and volunteer bands,
floats with craftsmen work-
ing at their trades and dis-
pleying their craftsmanship,
vas well as banners of the re-
spective organizations partici-
pating.

Among the unions partici-
pating we find the following:
Tailors, 100 members; Plumb-
ais and Steam Fitters, 40;
Oshawa and Toronto Mould-
ers, 100; Varnishers and Pol-
ishers, 50; Longshoremen, 90;
Carpenters, 400; Bakers, 82;
Typographical, 170; Brick-
tayers, 200; Shoemakers, 160;
Laborers, 200; Stone Masons,
40° Plasterers, 60; Stone Cut-
ters, 40; Lathers, 75; Harness
Makers, 30; Painters, 225;
Tinsmiths, 40; Gilders and
Brass Finishers, 90; Gas and

Steam Fitters, 50; Lithograph-
ers, 50; Cigarmakers, 120.

At the open air “demonstra-
tion at the Exhibition grounds,
Mr. Armstrong of the Typo-
graphical union and the presi-
dent -of the Trades Council
“thanked those who took part
In the demonstration for the
noble manner in which they
had come forward to help the
committee. He was sure such
a procession of wage earners
had never been witnessed be-
fore in the Dominion of Can-
aoa, and he believed that the
vecasion would be long re-
membered by ‘the working
people of the city and prov-
ince as a red letter day in
their history.”

OR

The AFL Weekly News Ser-
vice of August 15, 1939, says,
eccording to Ernest Bohm,
the then secretary of the New
York City Central Labor
Union from 1881 to 1921, writ-
ten as of November 23, 1933:

“On May 8th, 1882, Peter
J. McGuire, representing the
Carpenters and Joiners, pro-
posed to set aside a festive
day, during which a parade
through the streets of New
York would permit public
tribute to American industry,
and to be followed bya pic-
nic. The first Labor Day cele-
tration was held on Tuesday,
September 5, 1882.”

The Toronto Globe on Sep-

tember 13, 1886, reports
Labor Day on ‘saturday fe
llth was a great succeSS: oa:
the demonstration to the
xonto Exhibition groun

the most impressive 2

its kind we have know!
Toronto. There were
trade unionists in the }
accompanied by fi! t
bands. ...

The principal speaker
Captain Trevellick, af
anizer for the Knights
Labor, many of whose
were affiliated with th |
ronto Trades Assemb

‘ from 1871 to 1890.

According to a report ©
Torento Globe, he eXP
himself with vigor an :
gy and stated that Mg,
should be an age limit
boys and girls enterine
tories and equal. pay £00 9
work for men and wom@™

At the annual conver
of the Trades and Labor)
gress of-Canada in a t
yesolution was preseim A
questing the federal & if
ment to make Labor De
national heliday. It W®
till July 23, 1894, that #
proclaimed by the Dom
government that the
Monday in Septembe!
be Labor Day. On Jum i
1894, the United Stata!
ernment passed a simi
solution.-

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