The Feminization of the Labour Movement in New Brunswick: Women in the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, 1913-1984

by

Kimberley Dunphy

B.A. Honours, University of New Brunswick, 2006

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts

in the Graduate Academic Unit of History

Supervisor: David Frank, PhD, History

Examining Board: Linda Kealey, PhD, History Jennie Hornosty, PhD, Sociology Sean Kennedy, PhD, History (Chair)

This thesis is accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK

August 2009

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1*1 Canada Abstract

This is a study of the feminization of the labour movement in New Brunswick.

Women's involvement in the labour movement in New Brunswick is a recent phenomenon that has yet to be systematically examined. This study will contribute to understanding this history through a case study of the New Brunswick Federation of

Labour (NBFL). The study focuses on the annual conventions of the Federation and the participation of women delegates at these meetings. The questions addressed include:

How many women were there as delegates? Who were these women? Where did they live, work and what unions were they from? How were they received at the meetings?

Were other women present at the meetings? This thesis also looks beyond the delegates to see what themes pertaining to women were discussed at the meetings. What women's issues were raised, and what resolutions were passed? Were men or women raising these issues? Overall, the NBFL prided itself on championing women's rights. Nonetheless, women and their issues faced obstacles and indifference within the history of the NBFL.

By the 1980s, however, the participation of large numbers of women and the formation of a Women's Committee had led to a larger degree of feminization within the

Federation. Until recently very little was written about New Brunswick labour history in the 20th century. This study will help fill in some of the blanks regarding the history of women workers in New Brunswick.

ii Acknowledgements

I am most indebted to my supervisor, David Frank, for his continuous support throughout the writing process. His encouragement and suggestions were instrumental to this thesis. Thanks also to my family and friends that gave unwavering support during this process. Special thanks to my mother Dianne for backing me both emotionally and financially even when it seemed there was no end in sight. Thanks to the staff at the

Harriet Irving Library and the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick for their help in locating sources. I am also indebted to the New Brunswick Labour History Project, a

Community-University Research Alliance supported by the Social Sciences and

Humanities Research Council of Canada, for the financial assistance and support that helped in the fulfillment of this thesis.

iii Table of Contents

Abstract ii

Acknowledgements iii

Table of Contents iv

List of Tables and Figures v

List of Appendices vii

Abbreviations viii

Introduction 1

Chapter One The Early Women: 1913-1963 15 Chapter Two The Transition Period: 1964-1974 45

Chapter Three Times are Assuredly Changing: 1975-1984 66

Conclusion 86

Appendices 90

Bibliography 142

Curriculum Vitae

iv List of Tables and Figures

Table One 40 Women Delegates at the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, 1919-1963

Figure One 41 New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetmgs With and Without Female Delegates in Attendance, 1919-1963

Figure Two 41 Number of Women and Men as Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963

Table Two 42 Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963

Figure Three 43 Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963

Figure Four 44 Single and Married Women Delegates, 1919-1963

Table Three 62 Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1964-1974

Figure Five 63 Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1964-1973

Table Four 64 Men and Women on New Brunswick Federation of Labour Committees, 1964-1973

Table Five 65 Geographic Representation of Women Delegates, 1964-1973

v Table Six Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1975-1984

Figure Six Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1975-1984

Table Seven Men and Women on New Brunswick Federation of Labour Committees, 1975-1984

Table Eight Geographic Representation of Women Delegates, 1975-1984

vi List of Appendices

Appendix One

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

Appendix Two

Women Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

Appendix Three

Locals with Women Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

Appendix Four

The Bethel Nursing Home Strike, 1981-1982

vii Abbreviations

BCWIUA- Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America CALEA- Canadian Air Line Employees Association CBRT&GW- Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers CFAW- Canadian Food and Allied Workers CLC- Canadian Labour Congress CPU- Canadian Paperworkers Union CS & AWU- Canadian Seafood and Allied Workers Union CSWU- Canadian Seafood Workers Union CUPE- Canadian Union of Public Employees CUPW-Canadian Union of Postal Workers H & REIA-Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Association IA of M & A W- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers IBEW- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ILA- International Longshoremen's Association ITU- International Typographical Union LWU- Laundry Workers Union NBFL- New Brunswick Federation of Labour OPEIU- Office and Professional Employees International Union PS AC- Public Service Alliance of Canada RWDSU- Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union TWUA- Textile Workers Union of America UAW- United Autoworkers UBCJA- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America UBE- Union of Bank Employees UFCW- United Food and Commercial Workers UPWA- United Packinghouse Workers of America USWA- United Steelworkers of America UTWA- United Textile Workers of America UTWC- United Textile Workers of Canada

viii Introduction

This is a study of one theme in the feminization of the labour movement in New

Brunswick. Women's involvement in the labour movement in New Brunswick is a recent phenomenon that has yet to be systematically examined. This study will contribute to understanding this history through a case study of the New Brunswick

Federation of Labour. Why is it that when the NBFL first began there were few to no women delegates present, but today the numbers of men and women are almost equal?

The study focuses on the annual conventions of the Federation and the participation of women delegates at these meetings. The questions addressed include:

How many women were there as delegates? Who were these women? Where did they live, work and what unions were they from? How were they received at the meetings?

Were other women present at the meetings? This thesis also looks beyond the delegates to see what themes pertaining to women were discussed at the meetings. What women's issues were raised, and what resolutions were passed? Were men or women raising these issues? Overall, the NBFL prided itself on championing women's rights. Nonetheless, women and their issues faced obstacles and indifference within the history of the NBFL.

By the 1980s, however, the participation of large numbers of women and the formation of a Women's Committee led to a larger degree of feminization with the Federation.

This study shows the "feminization" of the labour movement in New Brunswick primarily in that the number of women delegates in the Federation of Labour increased over time. Another indication of the "feminization" of the labour movement was the change in attitudes and agenda of the Federation over time, which led to the establishment of the Women's Committee within the Federation.

1 How has the place of women in the Canadian labour force changed over the course of the 20th century? The Double Ghetto: Canadian Women and Their Segregated

Work is a study of the sex segregation of women in Canada. Pat and Hugh Armstrong focus on the work women perform rather than the work they are prevented from performing. The authors use both quantitative and qualitative data to argue that, in spite of changes, by the 1980s there had not been a fundamental alteration in the division of labour by sex or the nature of women's work in the labour force.1

According to the Armstrongs, since 1941 women's participation in the labour force more than doubled. In 1991 women accounted for 45 percent of the members of the labour force. However, these changes were not accompanied by any changes in the work women did for pay. Women were still in industries and occupations with low pay, low skill requirements, low productivity, and low prospects for advancement. The work that many women did in the workforce paralleled the work that they performed in the home. In general women were in a position of caring and supportive work. Many scrubbed floors, served food, answered telephones, taught children, cared for the sick, cooked meals, sewed clothes, washed hair and waited on people.3 Many women were working full or part-time in the workforce and yet they were still responsible for maintaining domestic duties as well.

The authors concluded that many Canadian women were in an unfortunate situation when it came to working. Many had a continued domestic responsibility that limited their ability to work full-time continuously in the workforce. At the same time

1 Pat Armstrong and Hugh Armstrong. The Double Ghetto: Canadian Women and Their Segregated Work Toronto, Ontario: McClelland and Stewart, 1994. 13. 2 Armstrong and Armstrong, 15. 3 Armstrong and Armstrong, 66.

2 the jobs available to women in the industrial sector also discouraged their participation.

They claimed that most of the jobs available to married women in Canada were the least attractive and worst paid. Therefore, it was no wonder that with the added responsibility at home many women were discouraged from joining the workforce on a continuous basis.4 Even with this discouragement married women were still working. In many cases they filledth e demands of cheap and flexible labour for financial gain that allowed them to maintain the level of living that they had become accustomed to. The Armstrongs argue that this participation feeds the division of labour.5 They go on to say that although women have made gains in the numbers of union memberships, in 1991 they were still in the same jobs that they were filling in 1941.6

In a more recent study, Discounted Labour: Women Workers in Canada, 1870-

1939, Ruth Frager and Carmela Patrias open with a quotation about pay equity that was stated in 1871. They make the point that even today, 130 years later in Canada, that goal has yet to be accomplished. According to Statistics Canada, in 2002 women were still earning only 71 percent of what their male counterparts were making in full-time year- round jobs.7 The authors ask why women's work has been considered less valuable than men's work, and why so many women have lacked the training, job experience, or union membership that has kept them from higher wages.

Frager and Patrias claim that the period 1870-1939 was a key time for industrialization and urbanization in Canada. These changes laid the foundation of

4 Armstrong and Armstrong, 221. 5 Armstrong and Armstrong, 221-222. 6 Armstrong and Armstrong. 226. 7 Ruth Frager and Carmela Patrias. Discounted Labour: Women Workers in Canada, 1870-1939. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 2006. 3.

3 modern gender divisions. Industrialization created new forms of employment for females in mills and factories. Many women went out to work due to economic need while others brought work home to combine with domestic work. 9 Women were given jobs that required nimble fingers,patience , and attention to detail. They were not given jobs that required mechanical ability or the exercise of individual judgment.10 Many white collar jobs became available to women by the early 1900s in urban society. Young women who were educated were encouraged to pursue teaching, nursing, social work, clerical work, and sales work but they were reminded that the greatest "profession was motherhood".11 In the 1920s in Canada it became more socially acceptable for young women to work. During World War One Canadian women were encouraged to join the labour force. With the following depression and labour shortages, they were pressured to get out and give the jobs to men, but they did not listen.12 Women stayed in jobs that were primarily women's work and due to obvious economic need they were not forced out.13

During the second half of the 20th century there was an increase in the number of women in the workforce, especially married women. Frager and Patrias attribute this to increased employer demand for female labour, especially in white collar jobs in the service sector. The increased economic demand and change in demography meant that women were now an important part of "manpower" or as Patricia Connelly has put it, a

Frager and Patrias, 4. 9 Frager and Patrias, 18-27. 10 Frager and Patrias, 52. 11 Frager and Patrias, 74. 12 Frager and Patrias, 75. 13 Frager and Patrias, 87.

4 "reserve army of labour".14 In general Frager and Patrias claim that during the 1950s and

1960s women tended to marry slightly earlier, which shrank the availability of single women. Also at the same time, women's fertility rates decreased while life expectancy increased. Due to this government employers especially recognized the ability of women to devote longer years to paid work. Also, increasing divorce and separation rates pushed more women to earn their own income. Another important factor was that children were staying in school longer and were less likely to work to add to the family's income, leading more middle class women to work to maintain the standard of living for the family instead.15

In 1951 married women made up 30 percent of the female labour force, and by

1991 married women accounted for 64 percent of the female labour force.16 Frager and

Patrias argue that as women became more aware of their secondary status in the work force they began to resist, sometimes with male allies, this trend. Due to the importance of the female worker to the economy they were able to make some gains, but were limited in what they could accomplish. There is evidence that protest began to emerge after World War Two, even before the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. Many individuals and groups that protested were linked to human rights campaigns that developed in this period.17

Due to the government's increasing need for female labour as well as the pressure of women's groups, many prohibitions against women were removed. For example, in 1955 the federal government allowed married women to work in the federal

14 Patricia Connelly. Last Hired, Last Fired: Women and the Canadian Workforce. Toronto, Ontario: Women's Press, 1994. 15 Frager and Patrias, 152. 16 Frager and Patrias, 153. 17 Frager and Patrias, 153-154.

5 civil service. This trend was followed in the private sector as well. In 1953 the federal

Women's Bureau was established, which together with other women's groups began to push for women's equality in the paid labour force, maternity leave, and access to child care. The establishment of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women led to hearings in the 1960s and a report in 1970 that was further evidence of women's rights being pushed to the forefront. In the 1960s and 1970s there was an emergence of large public sector unions and many more women became union members. Also, women had increased participation in leadership positions in the labour movement in general.

In Union Sisters: Women in the Labour Movement, Linda Briskin and Lynda

Yanz document the struggles and victories of union women in the labour movement.

Their book was also intended to provide some direction to women and unions as they struggled to defend workers' interests. This book was written in 1983 at a time when

900,000 women in Canada belonged to unions, a number that had almost doubled from the previous decade. At this point in time women accounted for 30 percent of Canadian union members. During this time women had made gains on issues of sexual harassment, support of lesbian and gay rights and abortion, and made alliances with the women's movement and other community organizations.19

The concept of "labour feminism" is a relevant term to consider in this study, and this has been discussed in several studies about labour and the women's movement in

Canada and the United States. In Community of Suffering and Struggle: Women, Men, and the Labor Movement in Minneapolis, 1915-1945 Elizabeth Faue provides the example of Minneapolis from 1915 to 1945 to argue that women were alienated by the

18 Frager and Patrias, 155-157. 19 Linda Briskin and Lynda Yanz, eds. Union Sisters: Women in the Labour Movement. Toronto, Ontario: The Women's Press, 1983. 9.

6 labour movement due to male dominance and the severing of ties between the movement and community.20 In The Other Women's Movement: Workplace Justice and Social

Rights in Modern America, Dorothy Sue Cobble has made the argument that women in the labour movement in the United States have been overlooked and that "labour feminism" should be considered a part of both women's history and labour history in the

th 20 century. She calls this the "missing wave"; after the first wave of suffragette feminism and before the second revitalization of the 1960s there were groups of women in various organizations who utilized the labour movement as a vehicle to push for the needs of working women.21 Meg Luxton gives the Canadian context in her influential article, "Feminism as a Class Act: Working-Class Feminism and the Women's

Movement in Canada." Luxton challenges the claim that the second wave of the feminist movement was comprised mostly of middle class women. She argues that working class, union-based women utilized the atmosphere created by the women's movement to create a strong feminist presence in the labour movement in the 1960s and 1970s.22

There is a need for more study of women workers in New Brunswick. Several studies have given insights into particular situations. In "Separate Spheres: The

Organization of Work in a Confectionery Factory: Ganong Bros., St. Stephen, New

Brunswick," Margaret McCallum has studied the experience of women workers in a smalltown industrial establishment in the early 20th century. Her study underlined the importance of the gendered division of labour as well as the seasonal nature of

Elizabeth Faue, Community of Suffering and Struggle: Women, Men, and the Labor Movement in Minneapolis, 1915-1945 Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 1991, xiv. 21 Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women's Movement: Workplace Justice and Social Rights in Modern America. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2004. 5-7. 22 Meg Luxton, "Feminism as a Class Act: Working-Class Feminism and the Women's Movement in Canada," Labour/Le Travail 48 (Fall 2001): 63-90.

7 production, problems that remain prevalent today. In another case study, Derek

Johnson in "Merchants, the State and the Household: Continuity and Change in a 20th- century Acadian Fishing Village", shows the importance of family and community in an area where the main industries have been fishing, agriculture and forestry. The residents have pursued a household based and community co-operation adaptation to survive the economic challenges of the 20th century.24 Both cases imply that there are large challenges facing women in participating in the work force, achieving formal employment benefits and developing strong union affiliations.

Much relevant context for this study is provided by the studies of the changing numbers of women in the New Brunswick work force over the course of the 20 century. Isabelle McKee-AUain and Huguette Clavette have written a book, Portrait socio-economique desfemmes du Nouveau-Brunswick using statistical data on the condition of women in New Brunswick. The information is divided into two main parts: first social characteristics including demographics, education and family, and second the job market, including level of activity, unionization and income.25 They report a steady increase in the labour force participation rate of women: 1911: 14.7%; 1921: 16.2%;

1931: 17.1%; 1941: 18.2%; 1951: 20.5%; 1961: 24.8%; 1971: 34.3%; 1981: 44.0%.

McKee-Allain and Clavette report that the number of women union members in New

Brunswick increased from 10,300 in 1970 to 27,943 in 1981. They also cite the recorded rate of unionization for men and women from 1970-1981. In New Brunswick the rate of

Margaret McCallum, "Separate Spheres: The Organization of Work in a Confectionery Factory: Ganong Bros., St. Stephen, New Brunswick." Labour Le Travail 24 (Fall 1989): 69-90. 24 Derek Johnson, "Merchants, the State and the Household: Continuity and Change in a 20th-century Acadian Fishing Village." Acadiensis XXIX 1 (Autumn 1999): 57-75. 25 Isabelle McKee-Allain and Huguette Clavette, Portrait socio-economique desfemmes du Nouveau- Brunswick (Moncton, 1983). 1-3.

8 unionization for female workers in 1970 was 15.8% compared to male workers at

31.3%. By 1981 the rate of unionization of female workers had jumped to 23.9% while the male workers had a smaller increase to 34.2%.

Monique Gauvin-Chouinard and Michele Caron write about unionized women in

New Brunswick in "Les femmes et le syndicalisme au Nouveau-Brunswick". They examine the evolution of women's unionism in New Brunswick and their spread into different sectors of the economy. They also look at the consequences of this unionization for women by comparing conditions and salary in unionized and non-unionized fish plants.27

Also useful for this study is the 1979 article in Atlantis by Joan McFarland that raised questions about the place of women in organized labour in the province. Although

McFarland's article, "Women and Unions: Help or Hindrance?", is somewhat dated she brings up some important issues. She calls on women to look at crucial issues such as daycare, part-time work and the division of labour both at home and work, and questions whether or not unions have helped in these issues. Questions were being asked at this time about where the women were in the unions. Her study was not only an academic article but also a local application of the idea of "women challenging unions" that was part of the emergence of labour feminism in Canada.

There has also been some attention to the history of women workers in a book by

Elspeth Tulloch, We, the Undersigned: A Historical Overview of New Brunswick

Women's Legal and Political Status, 1784-1984, which gives many important dates and

6 McKee-Allain and Clavette, Portrait socio-economique desfemmes du Nouveau-Brunswick, 113. 27 Monique Gauvin-Chouinard and Michele Caron, "Les femmes et le syndicalisme au Nouveau- Brunswick", egalite, 10 (automne 1983), 95-108. 28 Joan McFarland, "Women and Unions: Help or Hindrance?", Atlantis, Vol. 4, no. 4 (Spring 1979), 49- 50, 64.

9 accomplishments of women in New Brunswick. She notes that the Factory Act passed in

1905 regulated working conditions in factories and that in the 1930s the provincial government began bringing in minimum wage regulations for women.29 In 1961 the provincial government brought in the Female Employees Fair Remuneration Act, which required employers to give women and men equal pay for the same work; however, the problem with this kind of legislation was that, due to the prevailing gendered division of labour, the majority of the female work force did not work at the same jobs as the male work force.30 Tulloch also notes the importance of the 1967 Royal Commission on the

Status of Women in Canada, including the fact that a Fredericton lawyer and deputy judge, Doris Ogilvie, was a commission member. According to Tulloch several New

Brunswick women and groups submitted briefs. The NBFL did not do so, but the

Canadian Union of Public Employees and the New Brunswick Association of Registered

Nurses did. The period after the Report was filed in 1970 was a growing time for the women's movement. In 1974 New Brunswick women organized a provincial conference called "New Perspectives for New Brunswick Women", and as a result an ad hoc committee was formed with the mandate of seeing that a provincial advisory council on the status of women was established. Dorothy Power Lawson, who figuresprominentl y in this thesis as a pioneer of women's activism in the labour movement, was one of the individuals active in forming the council in 1977.

Until recently, little has been written about New Brunswick labour history in the

20th century. The New Brunswick Labour History Project is beginning to address the

29 Men and women did not have the same minimum wage in New Brunswick until 1965. 30 Elspeth Tulloch, We, the undersigned: A Historical Overview of New Brunswick Women's Legal and Political Status, 1784-1984. Moncton, New Brunswick: New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1985,105-107. 31 Tulloch, 69-70.

10 challenge, and this study will also help to fill in some of the blanks in regards to the history and identity of women workers in New Brunswick.32

This study is based primarily on the original NBFL convention reports from the annual meetings, as well as other NBFL documents recently deposited at the Provincial

Archives of New Brunswick. One problem in studying the earlier time period is that there are gaps in the records; however, all attempts have been made to find out if there were women present during these gaps, and so far none have been found. For example, there are no proceedings available for some of the early years prior to 1919 (when the

Federation initially met twice a year), but it is clear from later statements that no women delegates attended during that period; thus the data compiled for this thesis begins in

1919. There was also the problem that from 1923 to 1926 there was no official list of delegates in the convention reports. However, some newspapers, especially the

Telegraph Journal, usually covered the conventions and there was no evidence of women present in these years from the reporting in the press. Other anomalies in the data are due to the fact that there were two conventions in 1940, no regular conventions in 1945 and 1974 and no complete proceedings from the 1959 meeting were prepared at the time. Also, no list of delegates was located for the 1968 convention.

Another form of record linkage used in this study along with newspapers were vital statistics (birth, marriage and death records) and local city directories for various communities. Also the Records of the Province of New Brunswick Labour Relations

Board provided information on some of the unions in this thesis. There was a challenge in establishing the list of women delegates. Until 1973 the terms "Mrs." or "Miss" usually appeared in the records; however, especially in the later period, it was possible

32 See website: www.lhtnb.ca

11 to seek information from veteran participants or other researchers in clarifying the gender of delegates where initials or names were not sufficient. John and Greg Murphy, two veterans of the labour movement, were able to give advice on the gender of many delegates. Dee Dee Daigle who was present at most of the Federation meetings from

1978 to 1984 also gave advice on names. Raymond Leger and Nicole Lang of the New

Brunswick Labour History Project also gave advice on the gender of more recent names, in particular French names. One problem with searching for women in the early period is that many changed their names when they married. For some women the vital statistics include their marriage certificate and therefore both their names, but in the majority of cases their married name was not listed. Moreover, the trend in the early period was for women to work for wages only if single or widowed. Most women then stopped seeking employment outside the home once they were married. As a result, the majority of the women at the NBFL conventions appear temporarily and then drop from historical visibility. In this period the exception to the rule was Dorothy Power, who remained a labour activist through two marriages. In the case of this exceptional pioneer, the use of information from the New Brunswick Labour History oral interviews was helpful.

The study is divided into three chapters, each covering a stage in the history of women's participation in the NBFL. Chapter One begins with the participation of women in meetings of the NBFL from 1913 to 1963, the first 50 years following the founding of the Federation. This chapter documents the "end of the beginning" of women in the NBFL. The early women were the ones who navigated the obstacles and persevered to secure a place within the NBFL ranks for women.

Chapter Two presents the years 1964 to 1974. By 1964 there was a clear acceptance of the participation of women delegates. In 1964 women accounted for seven

12 percent of the delegates at the meetings, but by 1973 they numbered 12 percent. This decade was a period of transition for the NBFL. Women's issues such as equal pay for equal work, daycare and maternity leave were gaining more recognition. Through the course of the decade the Federation became more accepting of the presence of women delegates and more supportive of the issues they raised. However, the real gains would not come until the late 1970s.

Chapter Three focuses on the rising importance of women in the proceedings of the Federation. The year 1975 was designated International Women's Year by the

United Nations. It was also the firstyea r on record for an NBFL convention to be called to order by a woman, which Dorothy Power Lawson, President of the Moncton District

Labour Council, did when the delegates convened in Moncton that year. The representation of women at the Federation meetings was increasingly substantial in the years between 1975 and 1984. This was also the case in the number of resolutions regarding women's issues, including the benchmark resolution to change the name of the

Federation in French to include female workers.

This study ends in 1984 because by this time there was a permanent awareness of women's importance to the future of the Federation. Also, by the end of this time period the NBFL Women's Committee was formed and began to act regularly to advance the causes of working women in the province. A vice-presidency for women was created in

1984. Equal opportunity, daycare and maternity leave continued to be of importance, but other issues emerged as well, including abortion rights, discrimination, affirmative action, workplace safety, education, nursing homes and support for battered women.

This study shows the "feminization" of the labour movement in New Brunswick primarily in that the number of women in the Federation of Labour increased over time.

13 Another indication of the "feminization" of the labour movement was the change in attitudes and agenda of the Federation over time, which was the intent of the Women's

Committee within the Federation.

14 Chapter One

The Early Women: 1913-1963

The focus of this chapter is the participation of women in meetings of the NBFL from 1913 to 1963, the first 50 years following the founding of the Federation. This chapter documents the "end of the beginning" for women in the NBFL. The early women were the ones who navigated the obstacles and persevered to secure a place within the NBFL ranks for women.

Using the research strategy outlined in the introduction, it is possible to draw a general picture of women's attendance at the NBFL conventions. Table One gives the names and affiliations of those 32 individual women. Women appeared at meetings of the NBFL on 15 occasions out of 44 meetings as represented in Figure One.1 The total attendance reported at meetings from 1919 to 1963 was 53 women and 3,293 men as shown in Figure Two. Table Two and Figure Three show the record of how many men and women delegates were present from 1919 to 1963. The research on this period shows that the delegates were overwhelmingly male and a total of 32 individual women delegates appeared at meetings of the NBFL.

Among the total number of the 32 individual women who attended, the majority came from the province's two largest urban centres and centres of union organization,

1 Some years there were two annual meetings and other years there was no meeting. This number includes all of the meetings reported from 1919 to 1963. Please see pp 40-44 of this chapter for tables and figures.

15 Saint John and Moncton. They represented the following unions: Hotel and Restaurant

Employees' International Alliance and Bartenders' International League, United Textile

Workers of America, Dry Cleaning and Laundry Workers Union, International

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Packinghouse Workers of America, National

Union of Public Employees, International Typographical Union, and Bakery and

Confectionery Workers International Union. Almost all of these delegates were from female-dominated workplaces. Some women delegates came back, year after year, while others were there for only one year. Always a minority, they started with a small presence that became more permanent by the end of the period.

Most of the women delegates in this period were single. Until 1961 almost all women delegates were listed as Miss or Mrs. as was the convention in society. For the years 1961 to 1963 the women delegates were listed by name only. This underlines the level of importance that the Federation initially put on the marital status of women. Of the 32 women delegates, 17 were single, nine were married and six were not specified, as shown in Figure Four.

The first woman delegate was reported in the convention proceedings for 1921.

She was Nellie Thorne of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees' International Alliance and Bartenders' International League, Local 321 in Saint John. A male delegate, A. E.

Hilchey, was also listed as representing the union. It is logical to infer that Thorne worked at the Prince William Hotel, as it was described as the only fully organized hotel in Saint John and the convention was held there.3 Thorne also is recorded in 1920 in the

2 Until 1973 women delegates were usually listed as Miss or Mrs. (and then stopped). 3 New Brunswick Federation of Labour Proceedings. 1921, 7: "On Wednesday evening the twelfth, the Saint John Trades and Labour Council entertained the delegates to a banquet in the Prince William Hotel, the only fully organized hotel in the province."

16 Department of Labour's list of unions as the secretary of the local.4 Unfortunately there was no other evidence of Nellie Thome's presence found. This may be because the local union failed. In 1920 in the United States the HREBIU faced three years of declining enrollment. The majority of members had been bartenders and other restaurant workers with growing involvement of hotel personnel, waiters, cooks, bellhops and others as the luxury hotel business increased.5 This decline may explain why Thome was not listed again. The local did not appear again in the Department of Labour's directory of labour organizations after 1921.6

In 1922 there were two women delegates, Sara Shannon and Lettie Glover, both from the United Textile Workers of America, Local No. 1394 in Milltown. The

Milltown cotton mill was established in 1882 and operated until 1957.7 Similar to hotels and restaurants the mill was a site of female employment. Although the majority of the workers were female and vital to the cotton mill industry, as with other industries the

o supervisors and bosses were male. The mill workers at Milltown were first unionized in

1919. By 1920 the union boasted 500 members, which represented the majority of the workforce at the cotton mill.9 Shannon and Glover were the only delegates present from the UTWA in Milltown.10

4 Tenth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1920). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1921. 172. 5Gary Fink, ed. Labor Unions. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1977. 148-149. 6 In 1938 the National Union of Hotel, Club and Restaurant Employees was listed, but the list of locals was not published after 1940. Twenty-Eighth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1938). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1939. 88. 7 Milltown Cotton Mill website: www.milltowncottonmillmemorial.ca. 8Bill Eagan, Woven in Time: An Oral History of the Milltown (St. Croix) Cotton Mill. New Brunswick, Canada: Korby Publishing, 2004. 226. 9 Eagan, 26. 10 Thank you to the St Croix Courier in St. Stephen for publishing my letter to the editor looking for relatives of the two Milltown delegates.

17 The presence of these two delegates was acknowledged in a statement from the

Thanks Committee "to the United Textile Workers of Milltown for having in their wisdom sent two lady delegates to this convention, this being the first occasion in which lady delegates were present."11 It is surprising that the convention failed to recognize

Nellie Thome the previous year. This could mean that she did not attend the meetings, as there were a number of delegates on the list who did not attend. It is unlikely that she was unnoticed as the only woman delegate in a room of more than eighty men.

The Federation was so receptive to Shannon and Glover in 1922 that they also received formal recognition in their election to posts. Shannon was named a member of the Ways and Means Committee and then elected District vice-president for Charlotte

County. Glover was named a member of the Audit Committee and was elected Third vice-president. This was a considerable acknowledgement and an auspicious start for the women. However, the opportune conditions for women delegates did not carry forward as women delegates would not be on committees again until 1953. And a woman would not be elected to any level of a vice-president position (other than tmstee positions) until

1977.

There were several standing committees that were represented at every

Federation meeting. Over the years there were some changes in the names of committees. In general the committees were usually a Resolutions Committee that provided recommendations on amending resolutions or the wording of resolutions put forth at meetings. The Credentials Committee was responsible for keeping a tally of registered delegates and guests. The Constitution and Laws Committee recommended new or amended rules for the Federation and conventions. The Officers' Reports

11 NBFL Proceedings. 1922. 4.

18 Committee were responsible for reviewing the content of the President's report,

Secretary Treasurer's report and any other reports presented at the meeting. The Union

Label Committee reported on union label products. The Ways and Means Committee provided financial recommendations to the Federation. Other committees included the

Audit Committee that examined the financial records of the Secretary Treasurer and the bank books of the Federation, and the Thanks Committee brought attention to certain groups or individuals.

Shannon was 40 years old in 1922. She did not re-appear in the convention reports after that year. She married George Heffeman in 1935 and her occupation at the time was listed as "housekeeping". The union maintained its presence at the mill but continued to lose influence through the 1930s due to harsh economic conditions and cutbacks of workers. The outbreak of war in 1939 revived the industry and a new union appeared at the mill.12 Because of the problems in the early 1930s, it is possible that

Shannon was laid off during the Depression as she was not listed as working at the mill in 1935 when she was married.

Lettie Glover was married in 1925 to Herbert Cecil Butler, a labourer. He and

Lettie were both 42 at the time. Her occupation was listed as bookkeeper, presumably at the mill. In 192514 and 192615 Mrs. Lettie Butler was listed in the Department of Labour list of unions as the President of the United Textile Workers of America No. 1394. She did not appear in the records of the NBFL after 1922, however. By 1920 the UTWA in

12 Eagan, 39. 13 In Bill Eagan's book Woven in Time: An Oral History of the Milltown (St Croix) Cotton Mill, Jim Heffeman, Sara Shannon's nephew, leaves an oral history of his time as a worker at the mill. Eagan, 131. 14 Fifteenth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1925). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1926. 86. 15 Sixteenth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1926). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1927. 93.

19 the United States represented ten percent of the workforce in the industry. The percentage dropped to three by 1940 and then remained stable. From the founding of the

UTWA in 1901 there was rivalrywit h other textile unions, craft unions and organizations. By 1930 most of the locals in the various groups had become affiliated with the UTWA or had disappeared as they were unable to maintain membership.

Then in 1937 rivalryincrease d with the new Textile Workers' Union of America.

Why did Shannon and Glover or other women not return as delegates to the

Federation after 1922? The union revived in the 1940s, winning an important strike in

1940, and operating at least until 1946 as United Textile Workers of Canada, Local 10.

But women did not appear as delegates at the NBFL meetings. When the TWUA became the union at the mill, it was affiliated to the Canadian Congress of Labour and not eligible to affiliate to the NBFL, which had as its provincial rival the New

Brunswick Council of Labour. Secondly, the mill closed in 1957, and therefore the local was not coming back to the NBFL even after the merger between the rival federations in

1957. The memory of the workers and the mill are still a large part of the community of

Milltown/St. Stephen. A monument to the Milltown cotton mill workers was unveiled at the site of the mill in St. Stephen on 6 October 2007. The monument consists of a sculpture depicting two workers, a woman and a man. There were many past workers present at the unveiling.

It is important to note that there was no complete list of NBFL delegates from

1923 to 1926. There may have been women delegates present; however, they were not

16 Fink, 381. 17 Fink, 380-381. 18 After talking to residents of St. Stephen and looking through the phone book, it is clear to me that the name Glover has disappeared from the area. Also, the last of the Heffernan/Shannon family passed away recently.

20 mentioned in the reports or in the newspaper articles covering the conventions. There were names of committee members and officers, but none of the earlier women were listed, and there were no names that appeared to be women.

After 1922 no women delegates appeared until 1944, when Merelda Bourque and

Lily Boudreau attended as delegates for Moncton Local 17 of the United Textile

Workers of Canada. They were the only delegates present for that local in Moncton.

Neither of these women were nominated or elected to a vice-president or trustee position, and they were not on any committees either. However, these women were the first of a group of women from several workplaces and unions in Moncton.

There were no women delegates present again until 1951, when two delegates, also from Moncton, appeared from another female-dominated workforce, the Laundry

Workers International Union. Reta VanBuskirk and Evelyn Welsh were delegates for

Moncton Local 360. They were the only two delegates present for that local. The laundry workers represented nine of the 32 early women delegates between 1951 and

1958. The name of the union changed from the Laundry Workers International Union to the Laundry Workers Federal Union in 1957. This was due to administrative scandals and insurance fraud in the United States. Then in 1958 the AFL-CIO held a conference to win over locals of laundry workers. They were successful and by 1959 the Laundry and Dry Cleaning International Union was formed again.19 Although this happened in the United States, the name changes of the union were evident in the locals represented at the NBFL conventions.

Of the nine laundry worker delegates, seven were from Moncton and two were from Saint John. The Moncton delegates were Reta VanBuskirk, Evelyn Welsh, Alice

19 Fink, 176-177.

21 Currie, Claudette Melanson, Yvonne Cormier, Grace Deroche and Annette Robichaud.

The two delegates from Saint John were Kathleen Burke and Sadie Chatterton. The majority of the Moncton delegates worked at Vail's Starr Laundry as checkers and pressers. From evidence in the city directories, it is apparent that they lived within walking distance, eight to ten blocks or less, to the laundry located on King Street in

Moncton.

The Laundry Workers International Union Local 360 was certified as a bargaining agent for Vail's Starr Laundry on 1 September 1950. Grace Deroche and

Evelyn Welsh were listed as employees participating in the vote. As of 29 August 1950 there were 51 employees eligible to vote (excluding office workers, supervisory staff and truck drivers). According to the Labour Relations Board ballot, 42 of the 51 employees voted yes and the other nine did not cast votes. Of the 51 employees the majority, 43, were women and the minority of eight were men.20

There were women laundry workers present at every NBFL meeting from 1951 to 1958. Of the nine women present over the years none were nominated or elected to a vice-president or tmstee position. However, some were recognized formally in the meeting minutes. Reta VanBuskirk was recorded in 1952 as contributing to the Report of the Constitution Committee. In 1953 Agnes Dillon is recorded as contributing to the

Audit. Yvonne Cormier was recorded in 1956 as a member of the Committee on Audit.

These three appearances in the minutes signify acceptance to a point, but much less than the two women delegates from Milltown in 1922.

20 File # 183, Box # 42497, Records of the Province of New Brunswick Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB.

22 Another early union represented by women at the NBFL meetings was the Saint

John Local 1472 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. These nine women were telephone operators for the New Brunswick Telephone Company, another female-dominated work setting. The IBEW women delegates were Francis Johnston,

Agnes Dillon, Gertrude Cogswell, Rose Doohan, Janet Mills, Veronica Mclntyre, Betty

Callahan, Lola C. Pellerin and Muriel Chandler. These women represented the local over a five-year period, from 1952 to 1956. Every time that local 1472 was listed in the convention reports, there were only women delegates for the local. However, there was always at least one other IBEW local listed and sometimes four others listed in the Saint

John area that had all male delegates, presumably representing other occupational groups. The majority of the women lived in Saint John: Francis Johnston, Agnes Dillon,

Veronica Mclntyre, Betty Callahan and Muriel Chandler. Gertrude Cogswell and Rose

Doohan were from Fredericton and Janet Mills lived in Moncton. No evidence was found of where Lola C. Pellerin lived.

In 1955 the IBEW had a membership of 460,000.21 The union held conventions quadrennially. Muriel Chandler, Gertrade Cogswell, Agnes Dillon, Francis Johnston and

Dorothy Powell (not to be confused with Dorothy Power of the ITU; Dorothy Powell did not attend any NBFL meetings) were listed as Saint John delegates at the 25th IBEW

Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, 30 August to 3 September 1954. Agnes Dillon,

Edna Butler, and Alice Lavigne, were listed as attending the 26th IBEW Convention held

Fink, 85.

23 in Cleveland, Ohio on 30 September to 3 October 1958. The membership of the IBEW grew by almost 20 percent in the years between the two meetings.

Evidence from the certification files reveals further information. Francis

Johnston and Agnes Dillon were listed as telephone operators for District #1, Saint John, on 26 November 1945. There were 62 operators for Saint John of a total of 120 operators for District #1. All were women workers.24 Gertrade Cogswell and Rose

Doohan were listed in 1945 as telephone operators on 26 November 1945 in Fredericton in District #3.25 There were 49 operators in Fredericton and a total of 118 in District #3, all of whom were women workers.

The women did not receive as much recognition from the NBFL as they did from the IBEW. Of the nine women IBEW delegates who were present over a five-year time period, none were nominated or elected for a vice-president or trustee position.

Agnes Dillon was the only one recorded in the NBFL minutes as a member of a committee, as in 1953 she was listed as contributing to the Audit Committee and she was recorded as an International Representative for the IBEW. Francis Johnston was listed in the 1949 Saint John city directory as a supervisor for the New Brunswick

Telephone Company Ltd. All of the telephone operators were female and in this industry it was more common for a woman to hold a supervisory position. She was also the

Reel #59, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Proceedings 1946-1962, American Labor Unions' Constitutions and Proceedings. 23 Grace Palladino, Dreams of Dignity, Workers of Vision A History of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Washington, D.C.: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, 1991. 220. 24File #74, Box #42507, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB. 25 File #74, Box #42507, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB. 26 File #74, Box #42507, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB.

24 president of the IBEW local in 1954, and Muriel Chandler was the secretary-treasurer of the local.27

Public sector unionism was making an impact by the 1960s. In 1960 May

Richard was listed as a delegate for the Moncton and District Labour Council. She was recorded in the 1956-1957 Moncton city directory as an employee of the City Hospital.

Also, Alice M. Lyman appeared for the first time as a delegate for Local 720, National

Union of Public Employees, Moncton. The presence of Alice Lyman marked the first appearance of a public sector union with a woman delegate. Subsequently, public sector unions such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which was formed in 1963 from a merger of the National Union of Public Employees and the National Union of

Public Service Employees, became a large part of the NBFL and grew rapidly with both male and female delegates.

There were four women delegates present for Moncton Local 720 NUPE, Alice

Lyman, Vivian Smith, Annie Laird and Laura McLellan. These women were present at conventions from 1960 to 1963. Also in 1963 Emelia Nugent represented NUPE Local

856 from Dalhousie. There were also male delegates who represented the Moncton local at the 1960 and 1963 conventions. There were five other NUPE locals in Moncton in 1963.

The hospital workers are another example of a female-dominated work sector.

The NUPE Local 720 was certified as bargaining agent for the Moncton City Hospital on 27 June 1958. The workers included were nurses' aides, kitchen help, cafeteria help,

File #342, Box #42503, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB. Nugent continued to be a delegate for the local until 1970.

25 ambulance drivers, maids, orderlies and laundry helpers. Alice Lyman and Vivian

Smith were listed as employees under dietary, kitchen help and cafeteria help, beginning on 29 June 1954. In this area there were 26 employees: 21 women workers and 5 male workers are listed.30

The hospital workers were members of committees on several occasions over the four-year period. In 1961 Alice Lyman was a member of the Union Label Committee.

In 1962 Vivian Smith was on the Constitution and Laws Committee. In 1963 Annie

Laird was the secretary of both the Credentials Committee and the Constitution and

Laws Committee. This recorded involvement of women delegates in committees shows a general trend of participation by women delegates that continued to accumulate in the

Federation. These women are also significant as many continued with long representation at the NBFL meetings. Laura McLellan remained a delegate until 1967,

Vivian Smith until 1973 and Annie Laird (later Craig) remained a delegate until 1975.

Laird went on to be on several committees and to be the second woman elected to a tmstee position in 1967.

There was also a continued presence of women from industrial workplaces. In

1960 Viola Steeves was a delegate of the United Packinghouse Workers of America,

Local 244 Moncton. A male delegate, L. A. Harrison, was also listed for the local. In the

United States the UPWA was a progressive union for women and minorities. Women were encouraged to take leadership positions and were particularly successful in winning gains for workers in the 1940s. Women also were involved along with the men in strikes after the war and in 1953 they were present at the UPWA's first national conference on

29 File #515, Box #42485, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB. 30 File #515, Box #42485, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB.

26 Women's Activities. By 1958 the union had secured contracts to eliminate wage differentials for women and minorities.31

In 1961 Saint John Local 445 of the Bakery and Confectionery Workers Union sent delegate Helen Logue. She was the only delegate for that local. She was a delegate for the same local from 1961 to 1963 and on. In 1963 she was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. This is significant as there were only five women delegates from various locals in 1963, and three of the delegates were on committees. This confirms that by 1963 women delegates were participating in the conventions with some prominence. Logue continued to be a delegate until 1972, but she was not on any other committees.

In 1961 Moncton Local 636 Typographical Union sent Dorothy Power as the first female delegate for the local. George A. Costain was also a delegate present for the local. Power appeared from 1961 until 1963 and on as a delegate for the local. In 1962 she was a delegate as well as a member of the Union Label Committee. She was also nominated for a trustee position in 1962 but was not elected. In an election in 1963 she tied a male delegate for a trustee position. She lost due to a coin toss. In an interview

Power recalled the election: "I ran for a trustee and in those days they didn't like women in that kind of thing. I tied a man for the trustee and, he [NBFL President James

Whitebone] should have made the deciding vote but he decided no, they would toss a penny." She went on to say: "They tossed a penny ... and I lost with a toss of the coin for my firstjo b with the Federation. I thought you buggers I'll show you, I'll fix that. So

Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women's Movement: Workplace Justice and Social Rights in Modern America. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2004. 18-19, 101. 32 NBFL Proceedings. 1963. 58.

27 I just went on and worked harder and made my mark in labour, feel I have.

[Chuckles]."33 The following year she was elected to the trustee position.

In her twenties Power worked for CN in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as a telegraph operator. This was during the second half of World War Two, and working conditions were excellent although the work was stressful. She remembered the flood of telegrams on D-Day and had to work most of the day and night. She then went on to work for the daily newspapers in Moncton, the Times and Transcript, for 38 years.

This was where she joined the ITU, a union that was ahead of its time, according to

Power. She received equal pay for equal work, a regulation that was introduced in the union in the 1880s.34 Power says the only reason she retired at 66 years of age was that a junior worker was going to be let go if she did not step down. For three of the years she was at the Transcript, Power was the president of the Moncton and District Labour

Council.

In addition to the delegates, other women were also present at the early conferences. In the 1954 convention booklet, Lorraine Kendall was listed as the convention secretary for the NBFL. In 1957 Miss Beatrice Breau was listed as the

Executive Secretary of the NBFL. These two women were probably responsible for taking the meeting minutes for the conventions.

There were two women who addressed the delegates at the conventions before

1963. Estella Sophia Sugrue and Dr. Charlotte Whitton did so in 1924 and 1940

Interview with Dorothy Power Lawson, 13 July 2006, Moncton NB, Labour History in New Brunswick (LHTNB) Oral History Collection [to be deposited at PANB]. 34 Interview with Dorothy Power Lawson, 13 July 2006.

28 respectively. In 1924 Sugrae would have been speaking in front of approximately 35 male delegates, and in 1940 Whitton would have been addressing approximately 60 male delegates. In 1940 there were no women delegates present and had not been since

1922, and it would be another four years before women delegates appeared again.

Although it was not recorded in the meeting minutes, it is probable that Sugrae, wife of a past president of the NBFL, spoke at the convention on the topic of a mothers' allowance act and minimum wage act for women. In 1924, The Daily Gleaner reported that at the convention the two labour members of the Commission on Mothers'

Pensions, one being Estella Sophia Sugrae, reported progress by the commission with regard to the subject under discussion.36

In 1940 Whitton was the Director of the Canadian Welfare Council. She was not a delegate, but she was the first woman on record to address the delegates of the

NBFL. Whitton was a visitor, but also a very influential woman leader — a conservative on most issues of social policy and reform. She spoke of the need for social legislation in New Brunswick, especially the need for the proclamation of the Children's

Protection Act. She urged the Federation to continue to push for these services, saying that there should not be any slackening of the effort during wartime. It is obvious from the proceedings that Whitton was welcomed by the convention members as they made a point to record that delegate J. S. MacKinnon stated her speech was the best organizing speech he had ever heard. This was seconded by James Whitebone, the president, and

Another woman addressed the NBFL before 1963. In the 1946 proceedings it said that Miss Belding spoke on behalf of the New Brunswick Cancer Society. Unfortunately, no other information was given on Miss Belding, not even her first name. NBFL Proceedings. 1946. 26. 36 The Daily Gleaner, 19 March 1924. 37 NBFL Proceedings. 1940 (January), 5. 38 NBFL Proceedings. 1940 (January). 6-7.

29 carried unanimously. Whitton later became the mayor of Ottawa and was elected five times between 1950 and 1964.40

In the January 1940 convention booklet there was an advertisement for Eaton's that was clearly marketing to women. This may indicate that the delegates' wives were present for the meetings and/or reading the convention booklets. Also in 1942 there was an advertisement that claimed: "Smart Women Enjoy Shopping at Peakes Limited,

Moncton NB."41 In the 1952 convention booklet, the Minister of Labour, Milton F.

Gregg,42 addressed the convention.43 His wife, Mrs. Milton F. Gregg,44 was mentioned in an announcement: she "would be entertaining the ladies of the convention at a tea at her home on Wednesday between 4:00 and 5:30 pm."45 In the NBFL convention booklets the delegates' wives were mentioned first in 1958 in passing. Then in 1961 there was a record that there were approximately twenty-five delegates' wives at the conference from out of town.46 These examples indicate clearly that the delegates' wives were a part of the conventions.

Although the presence of women was very limited prior to the 1960s, the NBFL conventions nonetheless included occasional discussions of issues concerning women.

What women's issues were brought to the table before the early 1960s? The first two matters presented were women's suffrage and protective legislation for women workers.

Then there were four major women's issues recorded in the yearly convention booklets.

39 NBFL Proceedings. 1940 (January). 6-7. 40 Patricia Rooke, No Bleeding Heart: Charlotte Whitton, A feminist on the Right. Vancouver, British Columbia: University of British Columbia Press, 1987. 1. 41 NBFL Proceedings. 1942. 54. 42 "Milton Fowler Gregg", www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com . 43 NBFL Proceedings. 1952. 3. 44 Her first name is not given in the proceedings. 45 NBFL Proceedings. 1952. 17. "NBFL Proceedings. 1961. 1.

30 The first was mothers' allowance. The second was a minimum wage for women workers, and the third was equal pay for equal work for women wage earners. The fourth issue was the allotment of a vice-president position open only to female delegates.

In the convention booklets the first mention of women appeared in the report on the January 1914 convention, where "women workers" were listed as resolution number three. However, the minutes did not elaborate.48 Women were not mentioned again until 1918, when resolution number one was the "Amendment of the factory act limiting the hours of labor for women and young girls to eight per day,"49 and resolution 12 was

"Urging equal suffrage for all women in the Province."50 In 1919 the NBFL again recommended that the Factory Act should be modified: "The raising of the age of young girls and boys going to work from fourteen to sixteen years, and the reduction of the hours of labor of girls and women from sixty hours to forty-eight hours in one week." l

In the early years, the NBFL pushed for legislation to protect women workers.

Women workers, especially factory workers, needed protection from long hours and dangerous working conditions. By this time it was clear that the NBFL was playing the role of protector of women workers and women in general. This protection theme was exemplified in the NBFL "Re-construction Program" which recommended the course to be followed by the labour movement in lobbying the government during the reconstmction period after the Great War. Fifteen areas were highlighted with recommendations. "Women as Wage Earners" was number four on the list. The policy

47 In 1919 workers' compensation is referred to as 'Widow's Pension' by the Federation, in 1940 the Resolution Committee recommended replacing 'Widows and Orphans' with 'Mother's' Allowance as there was "on the Statute Books of the Province an Act known as the Mother's Allowance Act". NBFL Proceedings. 1940 (October). 57. 48 NBFL Proceedings. 1918. 2. 49 NBFL Proceedings. 1918. 2. 50 NBFL Proceedings. 1918. 2. 51 NBFL Proceedings. 1919. 6.

31 statement said that "Women should receive the same pay as men for equal work performed. Women workers must not be permitted to perform tasks which tend to impair their potential motherhood and prevent the continuation of strong, healthy and intelligent men and women."52 Number 15 on the list was a demand that that the provincial government should provide widows' pensions.

The protective theme continued in 1920 when there was a resolution "Requesting that legislation be enacted providing pensions for mothers of dependant children and widows."53 This continued with the mention of a "Special Committee on Workmen's

Compensation and Factory Acts,"54 in which provisions should be made for separate toilets for male and female employees. Also the provision was to be made for the appointment of female inspectors. Legislation for a mother's allowance was pushed for again a resolution in 1938: "Many workmen die at an early age and their widows and children have been left destitute due to the loss of their provider."55

In 1930 legislation was passed for a mothers' allowance. This legislation was not put into effect until 1943. The failure to implement the legislation was a very sore point for the NBFL, not least for President James Tighe who made a big issue of it in his report in 1935, where he urged the delegates to use every power within their means to press for this legislation to be implemented.56 The general indignation of the NBFL was also expressed in a Federation history, published in 1934, which covers the years 1914 to 1933. The section on the Mothers' Allowance Act, written by John MacKinnon, a former Legislative Representative for the NBFL, pointed out that other such acts were in

52 NBFL Proceedings. 1919. (Policy statement attached at PANB and at http://www.lhtnb.ca/THl/en_melanson.cfm). 53 NBFL Proceedings. 1920. 6-7. 54 NBFL Proceedings. 1920. 8. 55 NBFL Proceedings. 1938. 31. 56 NBFL Proceedings. 1935. 4.

32 effect in all provinces in the Dominion, except for Quebec, Prince Edward Island and

New Brunswick. It was also pointed out that the similar act in Nova Scotia was put into effect the same year that it was passed. The act stated that monthly allowances may be paid towards the maintenance of every child where the need arose through the death or permanent disability of a parent.

The second issue was a minimum wage for women that was advocated by the

NBFL. A minimum wage act for women was passed by the New Brunswick Legislative

Assembly in 1930, but as of 1931 it had not been put into effect.58 The Act gave powers to a Minimum Wage Board to set minimum wages, but it did not actually set any minimum wages itself. The first Minimum Wage Board was not appointed until 1946, issuing its first order in 1947.59 Ten years later, the NBFL was still unhappy with the

Minimum Wage Board, as expressed in a report of vice-president Ralph Boyd that stated: "We are continually receiving complaints from all parts of the province of exploitation of female workers, in both occupations supposed to be covered by orders of the Minimum Wage Board and those having no protection whatsoever." The report goes on to say that "these complaints emanate from hotels, restaurants, retail stores, offices, factories and food processing plants, as well as other varied sources."60

The victories of each group of women workers were not recorded in the convention booklets, although in 1961 it became clear that in Sackville at least the

Minimum Wage Board protected women workers, in this case so much so that the male workers now needed protection. Henry Harm, Atlantic Provinces Regional Director of

57 History of the New Brunswick Federation of Labor, Published by the NBFL: 1934. 35-41. 58 History of NBFL. 67-71. 59 My thanks to the LHTNB project for sharing information from project files on the minimum wage prepared by Ben Conoley. 60 NBFL Proceedings. 1957. 32-33.

33 the CLC, addressed the 1961 conference and called for a male minimum wage. He gave the example of "a small industry in Sackville, New Brunswick, where women workers were protected under the Minimum Wage for Women Act and paid sixty cents per hour.

The male employees were paid fifty-eightan d a half cents per hour for the same work."61

The third issue of equal pay was raised again in 1942 in Resolution number 67 that called for equal pay for female workers. The resolution stated: "We urge that the principle of equal pay for female workers for equal work of male workers, with a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour for female workers be established in all industry in New Brunswick."62 This theme continued until at least 1963 with resolutions and was also in presidential addresses. The 1959 convention minutes were never published; however, the meeting was reported in the Telegraph-Journal. There was a large article written called "Labor Federation Calls For Equal Pay for Female Workers". The article said that the Federation requested "the government enact further legislation granting female workers equal pay with male workers for equal work performed."63

In 1961 and 1962 Kenneth J. Webber, Minister of Labour for New Brunswick, spoke about the Female Employees Fair Remuneration Act. He stated the act was passed on 25 March and would be effective 1 September 1961. He also stated that some people mistakenly called the act "equal pay for equal work". The act was designed, he said:

to eliminate discrimination in the payment of wages or salaries, based only on being female. It was not designed to, in all cases provide "equal pay for equal work". The act states: "no employer and no person acting on his behalf should discriminate between his male and female employees by paying a female

61 NBFL Proceedings. 1961. 77. 62 NBFL Proceedings. 1942. 65- 67. 63 The Telegraph-Journal, 17 September 1959.

34 employee at a rate of pay less than the rate of pay paid to a male employee employed by him for the same work done in the same establishment.64

According to Webber, complaints could be made in writing to the Minister of

Labour, and a conciliation officer would then be appointed who would attempt a settlement. If no settlement was made, the Minister could appoint a commission to investigate the employer and provide penalties for violations to the act.65

Although there were very few women present in the NBFL in the 1940s, there were growing numbers of women workers in general. In the Department of Labour's annual publication, Labour Organization in Canada, from 1941 to 1949 there was a separate listing in the table of contents on "Women in Trade Unions". This shows that women workers were enough of a phenomenon that some departmental officials felt it was time to take note of them.66 Each year there was a list of numbers of women in trade unions broken down by province and some of the largest unions. However, each year it was reported that the statistics were not accurate as not all unions reported the number of women in trade unions. The number of women trade unionists reported in New

Brunswick in 1941 was 431.67 In 1942 it was 681,68 and in 1943 there was an increase of women union members to 1,076.69 This is not surprising as many women were working during the peak years of the wartime economy. In 1944 the number of women had

64 NBFL Proceedings. 1961.4-5. 65 NBFL Proceedings. 1961. 4-5. 66 Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1941-1949. 67 Thirty-First Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1941). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1942.12. 68 Thirty-Second Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1942). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1943.18. 69 Thirty-Third Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1943). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1944. 18.

35 decreased somewhat to 768. In 1945 the number of women slightly increased again to

980.71 Then in 1946 and 1947 there was a large increase of women to 1,27272 and

1,449 respectively. These statistics show that women workers were joining unions, but at this time period they were severely under-represented at the NBFL. Many of these women were joining unions that were not part of the NBFL. For instance, workers at

Canada Veneers or the Saint John Drydock, which had many wartime women workers, were outside the NBFL unions.

From 1951 until the present day there have always been women delegates present at the NBFL conventions. In 1953 A. E Skaling, the provincial Minister of

Labour, began his address with "Ladies and Gentlemen"74, but before that his predecessors always started with "Greetings". Skaling was a veteran union man from

Saint John who was probably in attendance at the NBFL for the previous 18 years. The fact that the greeting changed reflects the change in the crowd he was addressing and his perception that women workers were present. Also in 1961 Mayor Rideout of Moncton welcomed the delegates and included their wives, for the first time.75

The fourth issue shows that women had been accepted by the NBFL up to a point, but that they were not willing to give women a designated vice-president position.

In 1963 a resolution was submitted by Local 51 NUPE that the constitution of the NBFL

Thirty-Fourth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1944). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1945.22. 71 Thirty-Fifth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1945). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1946. 20. 72 Thirty- Sixth Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1946). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1947. 20. 73 Thirty-Seventh Annual Report on Labour Organization in Canada (For the calendar year 1947). Ottawa, Canada: Compiled and Published by the Department of Labour in Canada, 1948. 21. 74 NBFL Proceedings. 1953. 4. 75 NBFL Proceedings. 1961. 1. Delegates' wives were mentioned only one more time in an address by Henry Rhodes in 1973. NBFL Proceedings. 1973. 127

36 be amended to add a vice-president at large, and the position would only be filled by an accredited female delegate.

The Resolutions Committee recommended non-concurrence, but there was a recorded debate that highlighted a general issue facing the women's movement at that time and since. Richard Murphy from Moncton Local 51 NUPE said "that in all fairness, one of the vice-presidents should be a woman, and that the intent of the resolution was to give women of the province direct representation on the Executive Council, and that this should be compulsory."77 Delegate Frank Crilley of the Saint John and District Labour

Council disagreed with Murphy. He said that there was "no need of extending extra advantages to our sister delegates, as the female delegates are equal in every respect to any male delegate, and we have always fought for equal rightsfo r women." He went on to say that "To set up a condition where election of officers is based on sex would not be in the best interest of the Labour Movement or of the female delegates."78 The only other delegate to speak on the issue was Leo. J. McCluskey of Local 18 NUPE, Saint

John. He spoke out against the committee's recommendation and said there should be a female vice-president position. At the time of this debate there were approximately 140 delegates in the room. Only five of them were women and none of the women spoke on the matter. Regardless of the debate at the time, the committee recommendation of non- concurrence was adopted.

This debate highlighted a key issue for women workers as to whether women should get special treatment until they had reached equal status or should be treated the same as everyone else and gain equal status without aid. In many ways this debate has

76 NBFL Proceedings. 1963. 54-55. 77 NBFL Proceedings. 1963. 55. 78 NBFL Proceedings. 1963. 55.

37 continues to divide women today. Cobble describes the problem in an aptly titled chapter on "Social Feminism Remade". There were those who believed that gender should not be denied in the quest for equality, while others believed that the denial of

70 "difference" was needed in order to achieve equality. The labour feminists of the

1940s made advances by calling attention to the differences in gender. For example, during wartime many women took on unpaid leadership roles in the unions. They successfully fought for not only equal pay for women, but also the right to have special rest penods for women. For women in the labour movement the path was not clear. At times equality was achieved through differential treatment, but at other times this had to be rejected in order to strive for equality.81 For the NBFL the debate signaled that women were accepted to a eertain extent by 1963. Women had been permitted as delegates, but the Federation was not prepared to create a new vice-presidency for women until much later, in 1984.82 The approximate ratio of male to female delegates in

1963 was one woman for every 28 men, but by 1984 it was one woman for every three men.

This chapter has documented the "end of the beginning" of women's participation in the NBFL. This history began in 1921 and 1922; women then disappeared almost completely from 1923 to 1950. They then re-appeared in 1944 and again in 1951 and were present at every meeting thereafter to 1963 and since. We have seen who the early women were, where they were from and what unions they represented. Also the issues pertaining to women for the first 50 years of the Federation

79 Cobble, 67. 80 Cobble, 18. 81 Cobble, 70. 82 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 89.

38 have been presented. The early women were always a minority at the meetings, and yet they began establishing themselves in the Federation. They started with a small presence that became more permanent by the end of the period. Although there were no major breakthroughs for these women, considering the mentality of the time, the gains they made were considerable. These women foreshadowed what was to come.

39 Table One Women Delegates at the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, 1919-1963

Nellie Thorne 1921 Saint John: Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Association. No. 321. Sara Shannon 1922 Milltown: United Textile Workers of America No. 1394. Lettie Glover.1922 Milltown: United Textile Workers of America No. 1394. Merelda Bourque 1944 Moncton: United Textile Workers of Canada Local No. 17. Lily Boudreau 1944 Moncton: United Textile Workers of Canada Local No. 17. Reta VanBuskirk 1951-1953 Moncton: Laundry Workers Int. Union Local No. 360. Evelyn Welsh 1951 Moncton: Laundry Workers Int. Union Local No. 360. Alice Currie 1952 Moncton: Laundry Workers Int. Union Local No. 360. Frances Johnston 1952-1955 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Agnes Dillon 1952-1956 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Gertrude Cogswell 1952 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Rose Doohan 1952 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Janet Mills 1952 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Claudette Melanson 1953 Moncton: Laundry Workers Int. Local No. 360. Veronica Mclntyre 1953 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Yvonne Cormier 1954-1957 Moncton: Local no. 570 Laundry Workers Fed. Union. Grace Derocher 1954-1956 Moncton: Local no. 570 Laundry Workers Fed. Union. Betty Callahan 1955 Saint John: Local No. 1472 IBEW. Lola C. Pellerin 1956 Saint John: Local 1472 IBEW. Muriel Chandler 1956 Saint John: Local 1472 IBEW. Annette Robichaud 1957 Moncton: Local 570 Laundry Workers Fed. Union. Kathleen Burke 1958 Saint John: Local? Dry Cleaning and Laundry Workers Union. Sadie Chatterton 1958 Saint John: Local ? Dry Cleaning and Laundry Workers Union May Richard 1960 Moncton and District Labour Council. Viola Steeves 1960 Moncton: United Packinghouse Workers of America, Local 244. Alice Lyman 1960-1961 Moncton: Local 720 NUPE Hospital Employees. Dorothy Power 1961-1963 Moncton: Local 636 International Typographical Union. Helen Logue 1961-1963 Saint John: 445 Bakery and Confectionery Workers Int Union. Vivian Smith 1962 Moncton: Local 720 NUPE Hospital Employees. Annie Laird 1962-1963 Moncton: Local 720 NUPE Hospital Employees. Emilia Nugent 1963 Dalhousie: Local 856 NUPE. Laura McLellan 1963 Moncton: Local 720 NUPE.

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-63.

40 Figure One

New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings With and Without Female Delegates in Attendance, 1919-1963

• Female • Male

Figure Two

Number of Women and Men as Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963

• Female "Male

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-63.

41 Table Two Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963 Male Delegates Male Percentage Female Delegates Female Percentage 1919 34 100% 0 0% 1920 56 100% 0 0% 1921 85 99% 1 1% 1922 46 96% 2 4% 1923 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1924 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1925 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1926 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1927 40 100% 0 0% 1928 37 100% 0 0% 1929 42 100% 0 0% 1930 56 100% 0 0% 1931 76 100% 0 0% 1932 37 100% 0 0% 1933 35 100% 0 0% 1934 36 100% 0 0% 1935 36 100% 0 0% 1936 31 100% 0 0% 1937 36 100% 0 0% 1938 42 100% 0 0% 1939 75 100% 0 0% 1940 59 100% 0 0% 1940 52 100% 0 0% 1941 62 100% 0 0% 1942 68 100% 0 0% 1943 60 100% 0 0% 1944 68 97% 2 3% 1945 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1946 107 100% 0 0% 1947 76 100% 0 0% 1948 85 100% 0 0% 1949 59 100% 0 0% 1950 74 100% 0 0% 1951 94 98% 2 2% 1952 90 93% 7 7% 1953 100 95% 5 5% 1954 137 98% 3 2% 1955 158 97% 5 3% 1956 192 97% 5 3% 1957 193 98% 3 2% 1958 180 99% 2 1% 1959 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1960 147 98% 3 2% 1961 149 97% 5 3% 1962 131 98% 3 2% 1963 149 97% 5 3% SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-63.

42 Figure Three

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1919-1963

1963 1959 1955 ""••' "•" • 1951 1947 1943 1939 1935 1930 1927 1919 50 100 150 200 • Male • Female

*1923-1926-no list of delegates. * Meeting cancelled in 1945 to conform to wartime regulations. *1959 meeting never published.

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-63.

43 Figure Four

Single and Married Women Delegates, 1919-1963

20^ 15 10 5 0 r ^\° J> J?

SOURCE: Data compiled fromevidenc e in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-63.

44 Chapter 2

The Transition Period: 1964 -1974

Between 1964 and 1974 there were at least 106 individual women delegates in attendance at the New Brunswick Federation of Labour meetings.1 The total attendance reported of female delegates was 191 compared to 2,149 total attendance of male delegates. The women came from 40 different locals and 11 unions. This was a substantial new body of women delegates, as only six of the total had been delegates before 1964. By 1964 there was a clear acceptance of the participation of women delegates. In 1964 women accounted for seven percent of the delegates at the meetings, but by 1973 they numbered 12 percent. This decade was a period of transition for the

NBFL. Women's issues such as equal pay for equal work, daycare and maternity leave were gaining more recognition. Through the course of the decade the Federation became more accepting of the presence of women delegates and more supportive of the issues they raised. However, the real gains would not come until the late 1970s.

The woman who had pushed the envelope in the Federation's acceptance of women was Dorothy Power. In 1961 Power was the first woman delegate for the

International Typographical Union Local 636, and in the following years she became known as a prominent labour activist. Within her own local in Moncton, on 8 January

1966 she was elected the Recording Secretary of ITU Local 636.2 She then went on to become the first Canadian woman president of an ITU local. Power has recalled that

1 See Table Three and Figure Five. 2 File #1020, Box #42502, Records of the NB Labour Relations Board, RS 895, PANB.

45 being a woman president at that time was a "no no" with the international union. After the election she received a call fromth e president of the ITU. He said: "I've got a note on my desk to say that you have been elected president of your union... I'm extremely disturbed with you, you should be home in the kitchen washing the dishes." She replied laughing, "Mr. President, I love you too." From that point on, Power said, things were fine. She went on to say that she had to work from the bottom up and work very hard to make her presence known. She finishedb y saying, "I've really come quite a piece since he decided I should be washing dishes."3

Power appeared at the NBFL meetings over a twenty-year period. When she was not a delegate for the ITU local, she was representing the Moncton and District Labour

Council. She was elected to a trustee position twice and not only participated in many committees but also chaired many committees for the Federation. She also left a mark outside the Federation, as she helped establish the province's advisory committee on the status of women. She also sat as a member of the Women's Bureau of the Canadian

Labour Congress in Ottawa.4

At the 1964 Federation convention Power was the first woman to lead a committee, chairing the Union Label Committee. Also she was elected to the position of trustee, the position that she had lost on a coin toss the previous year, as discussed in

Chapter One. The Federation almost seemed embarrassed about Power's unlucky defeat in 1963 as the three male delegates also nominated for the position in 1964 declined to stand. They went so far as to say they declined in favour of "Sister Power, so that she

3 Interview with Dorothy Power Lawson, 13 July 2006. 4 Interview with Dorothy Power Lawson, 13 July 2006.

46 would be the first lady officer of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour."5 The three

delegates were S. W. MacDonald, of Bathurst Lodge 1974, International Association of

Machinists, Lloyd Basque, of Dalhousie Local 146, Pulp, Sulphite and Papermill

Workers, and Willard Mitchell, of Saint John Local 1386, United Brotherhood of

Carpenters and Joiners.6

Also at this convention in 1964, John Francis "Lofty" MacMillan was newly

elected as president of the Federation. As a result the leadership went from a traditional

conservative leader to more a modem president who better reflected the changing times m society's aeeeptance of the equality of women. In 1957 MacMillan became the

national representative for NUPE in the province. Later, MacMillan was the first

regional director of the Canadian Union of Public Employees for the Atlantic

Provinces.7

MacMillan remained the president of the NBFL from 1964 to 1967. Labour

legislation was one of the primary concerns at that time period for the NBFL. In the

early 1960s MacMillan helped organize and certify unions at many hospitals in New

Brunswick, including hospitals in Campbellton, Moncton, Newcastle and Chatham. He

also organized the Tuberculosis Hospital in Saint John and the Saint John General

Hospital workers in 1959 and I960.8 MacMillan considers his greatest accomplishment

was to have the law changed to allow for collective bargaining for police, outside

workers and school board employees through the enactment of the Public Service

5 NBFL Proceedings. 1964. 114-115. 6 NBFL Proceedings. 1964. 114-115. 7 Raymond Leger, "Remembering a Giant: Lofty MacMillan, 1917-2006," Our Times: Canada's Independent Labour Magazine (April/May 2006): vol. 25, no.2, 37. 8 Leger, "Remembering a Giant: Lofty MacMillan, 1917-2006," 37.

47 Labour Relations Act9 In 1968 the Public Service Labour Relations Act was introduced by the Louis J. Robichaud government. This act recognized the rightt o collective bargaining for public sector workers.10 The new legislation brought thousands of workers into the union movement, many of them women, a change that created opportunities and challenges for the Federation. Because of his work with public sector employees, MacMillan was influential in organizing women workers into unions.

MacMillan was not so much interested in women's issues as he was willing to help any and all workers, but the effect of his activity on behalf of CUPE was to strengthen the place of women workers within the Federation.

When the Federation appointed committees in 1964, women delegates were included on almost all of the committees.11 However, 1968 was the first year that two women were named as chairs of committees. The percentage of women on committees fluctuated from 1964 to 1973. In 1964 women accounted for 13 percent of the delegates on committees, and in 1971 this figureha d increased to 17 percent. However, in 1973 the percentage of women fell to nine percent.

Location may have been a factor in the attendance of women delegates. The majority of women delegates from 1964 to 1973 were from Moncton. As two of the conferences were held there, this was not surprising as the trend to meet in Moncton continued from earlier years. Campbellton was the second highest location represented by female delegates, although only one of the meetings was held in Campbellton. The

9 John Francis MacMillan, Emery Hyslop and Peter McGahan. The Boy from Port Hood: The Autobiography of John Francis "Lofty" MacMillan, Fredericton, New Brunswick: New Ireland Press, 1996. 140. 10 Leger, "Remembering a Giant: Lofty MacMillan, 1917-2006," 37. 11 Pearl Mullin, Credentials Committee; Lois Langley, Ways and Means Committee; Emelia Nugent, Secretary and Annie Laird, Officers Report Committee; Dorothy Power, Chairman of Union Label Committee. NBFL Proceedings. 1964. 9. 12 See Table Four on Committees for more information.

48 third prominent location was Saint John, where two meetings were held, also not

surprising as this continued the trend from previous years. The other two areas of

concentration were Dalhousie and Fredericton. Fredericton is not surprising as two meetings were held in the city, but no meetings were held in Dalhousie.13

Several of the well-established unions began to send female delegates in this period. In 1964 the International Association of Machinists, Local 835, Saint John sent their first female delegate, Marion Wilson.14 In 1967 the Canadian Brotherhood of

Railway, Transport and General Workers, Local 5, of Moncton sent their first woman delegate, Faye L. Fraser.15 In 1970 the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and

General Workers, Local 500, Moncton, sent its first woman delegate, Rena Arsenault.

Local 1795, Textile Workers Union of America, from Marysville, sent three women delegates in 1971 (Jane MeAfferty, Effie Bnrtt, Evelyn Bois) and two in 1972 (Evelyn

Bois and Louise Buchanan).

One important group of women represented came from the province's fish plants, especially those of the Acadian Peninsula. 1972 was the first year the Canadian

Seafood Workers Union had delegates present. Canadian Seafood Workers Union, Local

113, from Inkerman Ferry, sent delegate Olivina LeBlanc. Local 117, Shippagan, sent

Leontine Mallet and Normande Maserolle, and Local 125, Caraquet, sent Stella Cormier.

In addition, Mathilda Blanchard was listed as a representative for the CSWU and was a

fraternal delegate.

See Table Five on geographic location for more information. 14 1966 is the only year that Marion Wilson was a delegate at the NBFL conventions. 15 Faye L. Fraser was also a delegate in 1969 as a representative of the Fredericton and District Labour Council, and then again in 1975 as a delegate for Moncton: Local 225 Office and Professional Employees International Union.

49 Blanchard was a hairdresser and union organizer from Caraquet. She was an important and sometimes controversial figure among Acadian women. Blanchard was known for attacking the Conservatives, Liberals and the Church. As well as seafood workers she represented carpenters, office workers, miners and any worker that needed help before the Unemployment Insurance Commission or welfare.16 She was the first

New Brunswick woman to run for the leadership of a provincial party, the Progressive

Conservatives.17 She ran against Richard Hatfield in 1969 and lost but, according to a magazine article, received the biggest ovation at the convention. Blanchard championed Acadian French-language rights, workers' rights, the rightt o dissent without reprisals, and women's rights.19

The largest increase of women workers in the 1960s and 1970s came fromth e

CUPE locals representing public sector workers. Hospital employees were a large group at the conferences. St Joseph's Hospital Employees' CUPE Local 856 fromDalhousi e sent delegates Emelia Nugent, Valmot Albert, and Olive Hache. Moncton Hospital

Employees CUPE Local 720 sent the following delegates: Annie Laird, Laura McLellan,

Vivian Smith, Myril Bamford, Rachel Long, Patricia Young, Francis Boudreau,20 Mabel

Dunsmore, and Marian Williams. (These two locals were present before 1964).

Campbellton Regional Hospital CUPE Local 833 sent the following delegates: Anne-

Marie Savoie, Mrs. Jean Poirier, Marina Grant, Mina Doucet, Ena [Eva?] Degarie,

16 "Pattern Breakers of New Brunswick," Chatelaine (July 1977), Vol. 50, no. 7,32. 17 Elspeth Tulloch, We, the Undersigned: A Historical Overview of New Brunswick Women's Political and Legal Status 1784-1984. Moncton, New Brunswick: New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1985. 73. 18 "Pattern Breakers of New Brunswick," Chatelaine (July 1977), Vol. 50, no. 7, 32. 19 "Will inter-union warfare scuttle the fieryMathild a Blanchard?" Atlantic Insight (January 1982), Vol .4, no. 1, 29. 20 Delegate has been identified as possibly a man, but has been tentatively included in the data as a woman.

50 Jackie Benoit, and Mrs. Simon Cormier. Region 7 Health Care Workers, CUPE Local

865 of Newcastle sent the following delegates: Joan Blacquier, Dorothy McCafferty, and

Pearl Mullin. The Hotel-Dieu Annex, CUPE Local 905 of Bathurst (Vallee-Lourdes) sent the following delegates: Mrs. Gerald Steven, Livonie Savoie, Patrice Blanchard,21

Laudina Stever, and Venance Hebert.22 Saint John Regional Hospital Facilities, CUPE

Local 813 sent the following delegates: Freda Mclvor, Leslie Sommerville, Marie

Forestell, Nancy Fearn, Mary Roop, Marie Jenner, and Mary Branscombe. The Georges

Dumont Hospital Local 821 of Moncton sent both Claire Doiron and Marie Anne

LeBlanc. Region 3 Hospital Corporation, CUPE Local 908 of Fredericton, sent the following delegates: Inez Smith, Obeline McGloin, Andrea Wilson, D. McFarlane, Mrs.

Moore and Gladys Guitard. Hopital Enfant Jesus de Caraquet, CUPE Local 943 sent delegate Amanda Mallard. The large percentage of health care or hospital workers present was a reflection of the organizing efforts of MacMillan in the 1960s and the later

Public Service Labour Relations Act.

Nursing homes were also being organized at this time. The Villa Providence

CUPE Local 1303 of Shediac sent delegate Alice Brun. School Districts were also represented at the meetings. School District CUPE Local 380 of Saint John sent Marlene

Gillespie. School District 3 CUPE Local 588 of Edmundston sent delegate Jeannine

Theriault.

There were other locals present at the meetings. Sodexho-Marriot at Addiction

Services Local 846 of Saint John sent delegate Mary Jennings. The Workplace Health,

21 Delegate has been identified as possibly a man, but has been tentatively included in the data as a woman. 22 Delegate has been identified as possibly a man, but has been tentatively included in the data as a woman.

51 Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) Rehabilitation Centre, CUPE Local

946 of Saint John, sent delegate Jean Webster. The City of Saint John Inside Workers

CUPE Local 486 sent delegates Ellen Myslicki, Pam Harris, and Barbara McVicar. The

Saint John Police Protective Association CUPE Local 61 sent Lois M. Murphy,

It is not known what type of workers were represented by the following locals.

CUPE Local 883 of Campbellton sent delegates Marie-Anne Poirier, Muriel Calvert, and

Annie Babin. CUPE Local 822 of Chatham sent delegates Mary Greene and Sylvia

Waling. CUPE Local 863 of Campbellton sent delegates Joyce MacDonald, Helen

Steeves, Lois R. Lingley, and Georgine Hunting,

Although women were active on committees in this period, they were less successful in running for executive offices. In 1964 Power was nominated for vice- president of Kings, Westmorland and Albert County. When the ballots were cast she was second out of four candidates.23 In 1967 Power's term as trustee had ended. In an election to fill the position Annie Laird and Reno Levesque (a male delegate) both accepted the nomination, and Laird won by 106 votes,24 In 1970 Annie (Laird) Craig was re-elected to a three-year term as a trustee. This trend shows that from 1964 to 1973 there was at least one woman delegate out of three trustees holding office. This was a significant indicator of the acceptance of women. The trustees were each elected to a three-year term and conducted an annual audit of the Federation's accounts covering the twelve-month period ending June 30. The report was provided to the Executive Council with recommendations, if any, for their consideration.25

NBFL Proceedings. 1965. 169. NBFL Proceedings. 1967. 99. John Murphy, email, 12 May 2008.

52 During this transition period women's issues were gaining attention at the

conventions. This started with a leading Canadian woman labour leader, Grace Hartman,

addressing the conventions and snowballed with the resolutions for equal pay for work

of equal value, resolutions on daycare and maternity leave.

The 1967 convention was addressed by Grace Hartman, at that time the Acting

Secretary-Treasurer for CUPE. Hartman was a new role model for women workers in

Canada. She represented and influenced the changing role of women in Canada.

Hartman came from a working-class background, with a grade ten education. As an

office worker in the 1950s, she was exposed to workplace discrimination against women, which shaped her career as a labour activist. In the same year as her address to the NBFL Hartman became the national secretary-treasurer for CUPE, and in 1975 she became the National President. She was the first woman to hold the top position in a major Canadian union. Hartman established a path that many other women workers

would follow.26

The crowd Hartman addressed at Fredericton in 1967 included only 13 women

and more than 200 men. Her address, "The Role of Women in the Trade Union

Movement," a topic chosen by the Federation, helped to highlight the changes in Canada

and the coming changes in New Brunswick. Hartman spoke extensively and was quick to point out that she was interested in the topic but did not consider herself a

The labour movement had always been predominantly male when Grace Hartman began getting involved. She was pushing for equality for women in the 1950s when women were virtually unheard of in many union locals. Susan Crean, Grace Hartman: A Woman for Her Time. Vancouver, British Columbia: New Star, 1995.

53 "spokesman" for women only. She said she was a trade unionist who was interested in the advancement of both men and women workers.27

Hartman pointed out that women's work was becoming more important in the contemporary economy. In her speech, Hartman cited statistics that anticipated that there would be more jobs for women in the service field. She said that with automation there would be increased employment and women would fill these positions as they were

"better able to cope with the complicated machines and the more monotonous jobs involving data processing and computers than do the men." Hartman went on to list several areas where women were believed to traditionally perform better than men: for example they were "more dexterous", "patient" and "more safety conscious".29 Hartman clearly was indicative of feminism of her time in presenting arguments such as these: today in a speech for women's rights we would not hear this argument for special qualities of women workers from a feminist.

Hartman went on to caution delegates about the rise of part-time employment in which the hours were more suited for women and planning a household routine. She cautioned that the unions must remain vigilant and attempt to have these workers enter into collective agreements or they may endanger full-time workers' rights. Hartman also spoke of the importance of child care, maternity leave and equal pay for women workers and the need for advancement in such areas. Hartman ended the address by encouraging men and women both to no longer view a union as a man's organization. She also dropped a thinly veiled threat that men should make women's rights their fight when she said "if an employer can hire a woman to do your job and pay her less than you, I don't

27NBFL Proceedings. 1967. 34. 2SNBFL Proceedings. 1967. 35. 29 NBFL Proceedings. 1967. 35.

54 have to tell you who he will chose. The only indication of a response fromth e

Federation to Hartman's remarks was that of Valerie Bourgeois, Secretary Treasurer; he thanked her for her "timely comments in regards to the role of Women in the Labour

Movement".31

Hartman returned to New Brunswick again the following year to address the convention. This time she spoke of the importance of collective bargaining and the right to strike for provincial employees. She said that collective bargaining had been obtained at a federal level and now it was up to the unions and the federation to press the provincial government for proper bargaining rights. This was happening as the Public

Service Labour Relations Act was about to be enacted in the province through the efforts of MacMillan, CUPE and the Federation.

Hartman was also involved at this time in lobbying the federal government for the establishment of the influential Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Prime

Minister Lester B. Pearson appointed the commission in February 1967 as a direct result of lobbying from women's groups.33 This was the first royal commission headed by a woman, Florence Bird of Ottawa. Doris Ogilvie (Robert) of Fredericton was one of the seven appointed commissioners, who included five women and two men. The goal was to examine and report on all matters pertaining to the status of women and then make specific recommendations to improve the condition of women whose conditions fell within the jurisdiction of the federal government.34 The report considered areas such as

30 NBFL Proceedings. 1967. 39. 31 NBFL Proceedings. 1967. 40. 32 NBFL Proceedings. 1968. 63- 64. 33 Barbara Freeman, The Satellite Sex: The Media and Women's Issues in English Canada, 1966-1971. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2001. 3. 34" Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada", www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com

55 education, family, child care allowances, poverty, women in public life and women

offenders.35

When the Royal Commission report was released in December 1970, the

information on women workers showed the majority of women workers were in clerical positions. The second largest group were in the service and recreation sector, and this was followed by professional and technical occupations. This data, collected in 1969,

showed that more than two-thirds of all women workers were in these three groups.

The report also found that women workers represented only about one-ninth of

managerial positions in the work force.

Among the submissions to the Royal Commission, there were several from New

Brunswick, including one from the New Brunswick Association of Registered Nurses, but none from the Federation of Labour.38 There was, however, a submission from the

Canadian Union of Public Employees, which reflected Hartman's views on the need to address the concerns of women in the work force.

At this time the women's movement gained strength in Canadian society. In

1972 a conference under the title "Strategy for Change" was held in Toronto. The

National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) was formed as a result.

More than 500 delegates attended the conference; they were a mixture of traditional and

Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. Ottawa 1970. 36 Report of the R CSW. 1970, 56-56. 37 Report of the RCSW. 1970, 59. 38 The Royal Commission was not mentioned at the NBFL meetings until 1972.Submissions from New Brunswick included: Nancy Bryan of Fredericton; the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers, Saint John; the New Brunswick Home Economics Association, Saint John East; M. E. MacGillivray of Fredericton (not presented at hearings); Canadian Federation of University Women New Brunswick Section, Fredericton; Professor and Mrs. W. H. Hilborn of Fredericton; the Moncton Jaycettes, Moncton (not presented); the New Brunswick Association of Registered Nurses, Fredericton; Adele Willison of East Saint John; Joan Parfit of Saint John. The majority of the submissions and consultants were from Ontario and Quebec.

56 radical feminists, and the groups there ranged from the Communist Party to the Imperial

Order Daughters of the Empire. There were five delegates from New Brunswick present, four women and one man, though none were from the unions.40 The purpose of the NAC was "to evaluate, update and spearhead implementation of the recommendations of the Report on the Status of Women."41

In 1972 the NAC consisted of 31 groups, and by 1977 this had risent o 120. In

1975 the vice-president of NAC, Kay Macpherson, quoted Grace Hartman to show the presence of working class and union women and remind the NAC to work to advance all women's rights:

I often think of a woman standing on the cold hard cement of a fish packing plant, ankle deep in slime, working eight hours a day for poverty-level wages, and of women in 'bucket shop' factories, large and small offices, banks, restaurants and hundreds of other places of work where unions have either been unable or have not tried to organize. What is more important to these women; the fact that a woman is head of Statistics Canada, or that they are fighting to have free child care provided by the employer?42

Meanwhile, the Federation of Labour was also addressing women's issues. In

1968 the Constitution and Laws Committee proposed four articles of constitutional change for the NBFL. The committee was made up of Emelia Nugent, Chair, Patrick

Murphy, secretary, and members Wyn Steeves, Ernest W. Scott and Anthony Agnew.

The first article was: "To encourage all workers without regard to race, creed, age, sex,

Jill Vickers, Pauline Rankin, and Christine Appelle, Politics as if Women Mattered: A Political Analysis of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 1993. 73. 40 The delegates were: Kathleen Bedell of the U.U.W.F, Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, Mrs. J. L. Black of the Canadian Federation of University Women, Elizabeth Feniak of the Manitoba Action Committee (who resided at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick), Brigid Grant of the Voice of Women and George W. Robinson of the I.O.D.E. 41 Vickers et al., Politics as if Women Mattered, 74. Meg Luxton, "Feminism as a Class Act: Working-Class Feminism and the Women's Movement in Canada," Labour/Le Travail 48 (Fall 2001): 11.

57 colour, and national origin to share in the full benefits of union organization. This was an amendment to add age and sex to the existing language. The other three articles were aimed at "protecting the labour movement from all corrupt influences and fromth e undermining efforts of all totalitarian agencies which are opposed to the basic principles of democracy and free democratic unionism."44 It is not clear from the meeting minutes if the proposed changes were adopted.

The most frequently recorded discussions in the following years concerned minimum wages, labour standards and daycare. In 1969 there was a resolution submitted by Loeal 5 of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers to increase the minimum wage from $1.25 per hour to $1.50 per hour for both male and female workers.45 The first mention of maternity leave was in 1970 when a resolution was submitted by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1148. They requested that the Federation petition the provincial government for a change in the

Minimum Employment Standards Act that would guarantee re-employment for women without loss of benefits and seniority when they returned to work after pregnancy leave.

The motion was carried.46

The first mention of daycare was in 1971 when the New Brunswick division of

CUPE submitted a resolution that the Federation urge the provincial government to provide financial assistance to areas that have proven the need for daycare centres.47

They said that the working woman had a great need for qualified and competent persons to care for their children while they were at work. The resolution read: "Therefore be it

43 NBFL Proceedings. 1968. 68. 44 NBFL Proceedings. 1968. 68. 45 NBFL Proceedings. 1969. 114. 46 NBFL Proceedings. 1970. 55. 47 NBFL Proceedings. 1971.6-7.

58 resolved that the N. B. Federation of Labour urge the Provincial Government to provide financial assistance to areas who have proved the need of said Day Care Centres; and that each Day Care Centre have full facilities ... for the maintenance and education of their charges, and competent and trained staff be employed to operate the Centres."48

The resolution was carried. Daycare was addressed again in 1973 when a similar resolution for daycare was submitted by CUPE. It stated that the Federation should request the government to enact legislation to cover daycare as New Brunswick was the only province with no legislation on daycare.49 The motion was carried and was also printed in the appendix of the convention book. Daycare was one of the main policies on which Hartman had urged action and which the Royal Commission had recommended.

Women from the Federation were also receiving recognition more widely. In

1972 a Canadian Labour Congress Union Label Convention elected Annie Laird as regional vice-president for the Maritime Provinces and Jackie Benoit the provincial vice- president for New Brunswick.50 These accomplishments were reported by Greg Murphy at the Federation meetings and also mentioned by Henry Rhodes, the Director of

Federations and Labour Councils for the CLC. In his address to the convention, Rhodes went so far as to ask the women to stand and take a bow. He then went on to state: "the women's liberation seems to have come to life completely here in the province of New

Brunswick."51 This was an overstatement, as the reason he gave for this conclusion was that for the five-person Union Label Committee of the Federation four were "girls".52 He

4S NBFL Proceedings. 1973. 19. 49 NBFL Proceedings. 1973. 19. 50 NBFL Proceedings. 1972.44. 51 NBFL Proceedings. 1972.122. 52 NBFL Proceedings. 1972.122.

59 also said that was a step forward for the Federation, although in fact women accounted for only 12 percent of committee members in 1972 at the NBFL convention.53

Perhaps a better indication that the women's movement was on its way to coming to life in New Brunswick was an emergency resolution submitted by CUPE delegates. They said that at the 1971 national CUPE convention resolutions were adopted to favor the status of women and therefore the Federation should go on record as supporting the following: equal pay for equal work regardless of sex, abolition of designating jobs by sex, equality of opportunity for work for married women, and child care centres to help married women.54 The motion was carried. The resolution accepted by the Federation was an endorsement of the recommendations of the Royal

Commission, evidence that the advocacy of women's rights by unions such as CUPE were also having an influence within the Federation of Labour.

A study of women in the New Brunswick Federation of Labour gives a glimpse of women in the labour movement in New Brunswick. Many women have been involved in the New Brunswick labour movement that may not have been delegates at a

Federation meeting. Barrie Hould of Riverview, who worked for the Canadian

Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers, tells the story of Sandy

Vautour, a woman worker at the Willett Fruit Company in Moncton:

We had an interesting confrontation with Willett Fruit management during the mid-to-late sixties during negotiations for a new contract. We had a group of packers in the packing department, which positions were traditionally held by women and paid the lowest rates in the bargaining unit. Women were also traditionally precluded from applying for labourers positions, those working in the warehouse unloading and loading trucks. These people would be handling cases of various products and sacks of produce such as cabbage, potatoes, turnips, etc., all quite heavy. Management's view was that these were not jobs for

53 See Table Four. 54 NBFL Proceedings. 1972.69-70.

60 women and besides, men are much more productive in this type of work. During negotiations a woman, Sandy Vautour, applied for a position in the warehouse, she was denied the position and she grieved it under the terms of the grievance procedure. When the union threatened to go to arbitration, advised management of the probable cost, and hold up negotiations until the matter was settled to the satisfaction of the grievor, management agreed to give her a try. Ironically, Sandy loaded more sacks of potatoes, turnips, cabbage and cases of jams and pickles than any man in the warehouse and she held her job in the warehouse until she left her employment to raise a family. And by the way, all provisions in the collective agreement which were interpreted as giving management the right to restrict members of the bargaining unit fromposition s or other rightsi n the collective agreement based on sex were removed during negotiations at the time Sandy's grievance was still on the table.55

By the early 1970s women were present at the Federation of Labour in large and growing numbers.56 In 1964 women accounted for seven percent of the delegates at the meetings, but by 1973 they were 12 percent. Two women had been elected to office as trastees. The 1960s were a time of change all across Canada, and increasing attention to the status of women was one part of that process. CUPE in particular played an important part in bringing women's issues to the fore at the Federation of Labour, and the pioneer Canadian woman union leader, Grace Hartman, was the visiting speaker in both 1967 and 1968. The Robichaud government had enacted some reforms to legislation affecting working women, and the Royal Commission on the Status of

Women was drawing more attention to the challenges facing women in the workplace.

This decade was a transition period for the NBFL, as women's issues such as equal pay for equal work, daycare and maternity leave gained more recognition and endorsement.

Although women had gained acceptance within the Federation by the early 1970s, more important gains would come in the next decade.

Barrie Hould, email, 8 June 2009. See Figure Five and Table Three.

61 Table Three

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1964-1973

Mate Male Female Female Delegates Percentage Delegates Percentage

1964 162 93% 12 7% 1965 237 96% 9 4% 1966 289 95% 15 5% 1967 224 95% 13 5% 1968 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1969 218 93% 17 7% 197G 222 92% 19 8% 1971 235 89% 28 11% 1972 259 80% 36 20% 1973 303 88% 42 12% 1974 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1964-73.

62 Figure Five

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1964-1973

1974

1972

1970

1968

1966

1964

100 200 300 400

• Male • Female

*No list of delegates for 1968 *No proceedings for 1974

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1964-73.

63 Table Four

Men and Women on New Brunswick Federation of Labour Committees, 1964-1973

86% 14% 92% 8% 86% 14% 90% 10% 90% 10% 89% 11% 6 83% 17% 86% 14% 91% 9% No data No data

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1964-73.

64 Table Five

Geographic Representation of Women Delegates, 1964-1973

Location # of Woman Delegates

Moncton 47

Campbellton 38

Saint John 26

Dalhousie 15

Fredericton 7

Atholville 7

Bathurst 6

Caraquet 6

Marysville 5

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1964-73.

65 Chapter Three

Times are Assuredly Changing: 1975-1984

The year 1975 was designated International Women's Year by the United

Nations. It was also the first year on record for an NBFL convention to be called to order by a woman, which Dorothy Power Lawson, President of the Moncton District Labour

Council, did when the delegates convened in Moncton that year. The representation of women at the Federation meetings was increasingly substantial in the years between

1975 and 1984.1 In this period the meetings of the Federation included women delegates from 18 unions and a total of 114 locals. Overall, there were a total of 333 individual women delegates attending these meetings, only 18 of whom had been delegates before

1975. The total number of women delegates reported was 700 compared to 3,015 total male delegates in attendance. From the early 1970s to the early 1980s there was a substantial increase in the number of resolutions regarding women's issues. Also, by the end of this time period the NBFL Women's Committee was formed and began to act regularly to advance the causes of working women in the province. Equal opportunity, daycare and maternity leave continued to be of importance, but other issues emerged as well, including abortion rights, discrimination, affirmative action, workplace safety, education, nursing homes, and support for battered women.

In 1975 women delegates accounted for 15 percent of the delegates at the convention. By 1984 that figure had risen to 27 percent. In 1975 20 percent of

1 See Table Six and Figure Six.

66 committee members were women, and by 1984 that percentage had^isento 31 percent.2

Geographically the majority of women delegates were from Moncton, a continuation of the earlier pattern. The majority of meetings were held in Moncton during this time period. Only one meeting was held in Saint John, which accounted for the second largest concentration of women delegates. Province-wide locals accounted for the third largest group. The other two areas of concentration for women delegates were Shippagan and

Fredericton.3 Shippagan was indicative of the presence of women workers from fish processing plants and an increase in organized women workers in northern New

Brunswick, where the union organizer Mathilda Blanchard remained active. Fredericton continued to be a centre of public sector unions, which was important for membership in the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Several unions were also sending women delegates to the Federation meetings for the first time. 1975 was the first year the United Auto Workers sent a female delegate; Daisy Thompson was a fraternal delegate for the UAW and Verla Hayes was a delegate for UAW Local 1905 in Saint John. Also, 1975 was the first year on record for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to send a female delegate: Local 28, Moncton, sent Barbara Gaynor. It was also the first year for the Canadian Paperworkers Union to send a female delegate; Canadian Paperworkers Union Local 30, Saint John, sent

Barbara Hunter.

The trend continued in the subsequent years. 1976 was the first year the province-wide Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 1065 sent a woman delegate, Maurita Bourque. 1977 was the first year the United Brotherhood of

2 See Table Seven on committees for more information. 3 See Table Eight on geographic representation for more information.

67 Carpenters and Joiners of America sent a female delegate, from Local 1264, Bathurst,

Livian Ferron.4 1980 was the first year the Canadian Air Line Employees Association,

New Brunswick District sent a delegate, Sandra Theriault. 1980 was the first year the

Bank Workers Union, Local 2106, New Brunswick, sent a delegate, Jean Morrison.5

1983 was the first year that the United Steel Workers of America Local 7085, Belledune, sent a female delegate, Lindsey McDonnel.

There were also a growing number of women officers elected, including trustees, vice-presidents and scrutineers. In 1975 Joan Blacquier and Dorothy Power Lawson were elected as trustees.6 In the 1976 election for trustees, three female and four male delegates were nominated as trustees. The women were all elected, including Kathryn-

Ann (Kathy) Leger from Moncton, Marina Grant from Campbellton and Joan Blacquier from Newcastle. In 1977 Dorothy Power Lawson and Joan Blacquier were elected as trustees. In 1979 Dee Dee Daigle was nominated and acclaimed as one of the three trustees. In 1980 Daigle was elected to the office of trustee for three years. In 1981

Therese Rioux was elected to a trustee position. In 1983 Bertha Huard was elected trustee for the ensuing year. In 1984 Therese Rioux was elected trustee for the next three years.

There was also success in electing women as vice-presidents. In 1977 Mathilda

Blanchard was elected vice-president for the county of Gloucester.7 This was only the second time that a woman was elected to a vice-presidential position since the original election of Sara Shannon and Lettie Glover in 1922. In 1981,1982, and 1983 Joan

4 NBFL Proceedings. 1977. M. Delegate has been identified as possibly a man, but has been tentatively included in the data as a woman. 5 The 1978-1979 delegates were sent to represent the CLC in their campaign to organize bank workers. 6 NBFL Proceedings. 1975. 138. 7 NBFL Proceedings. 1977. 111.

68 Blacquier was elected vice-president of Carleton, York and Sunbury counties. In 1984

Kathryn-Ann (Kathy) Leger was elected for vice-president of Kings, Westmorland and

Albert counties. In 1984 Mona Beaulieu was nominated and elected general vice- president (female), the first time this new position was filled.

For the first time in 1980 there were scrutineers listed for elections (who were responsible for counting ballots); these included two women, Joan Westhaver and

Margaret Douglas among the total of 18 scrutineers. In the 1982 elections, Val Ward,

Diane Harm, Sheila Godin, Bertha Huard and 13 male delegates were scrutineers. In

1983 Marjorie Godin, Bertha Huard, Kathy McGrath, Majella Gionet, Marina Grant,

Josephine Roberts and 27 male delegates were scrutineers. In the 1984 election Marjorie

Boucher, Susan Arsenault, Dee Dee Daigle and 15 male delegates were scrutineers.

The visits by Grace Hartman in earlier years were followed in 19768 and 19779 by visits from Shirley Carr. Carr became a union activist in the 1960s in Ontario while she was a member of CUPE Local 133. In 1974 she was elected executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress. She went on to become president of the CLC in

1986.10 When she addressed the NBFL delegates in 1981, she focused on wage controls, and no specific mention of women was reported in the proceedings. Also, in 1981 Mabel

Deware, Minister of Labour in the provincial government, addressed the convention, but there was no detailed report of her speech in the proceedings.11

In terms of resolutions considered at the conventions, issues of concern to women were also receiving continued attention during these years. The issue of daycare

8 NBFL Proceedings. 1976. 55. 9NBFL Proceedings. 1977. 67. 10 "Shirley Carr", www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com. 11 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 61.

69 continued in 1975 with a resolution submitted by the Moncton and District Labour

Council similar to one that had previously been requested by CUPE. It stated, in part, that "The working mother had a great need for competent and qualified persons to care for their children. NBFL petition the government to provide financial assistance to all daycare centers throughout the province".12 In 1976 four daycare resolutions were submitted by the Moncton and District Labour Council (who submitted two of the resolutions), Newcastle-Chatham and District Labour Council and Bakery and

Confectionery Workers International Union Local 406. All of the resolutions stated that there was inadequate care for children to meet the need as the female workforce had increased over the past years and included married women with pre-school-aged children. These resolutions urged the Federation to petition the provincial government to ensure that adequate child care facilities were established and that they be community- centered and staffed by well-qualified personnel.13 The motion was carried and in 1977 a daycare resolution similar to previous resolutions was submitted and also carried.14

There was a stronger message in 1980, when two resolutions were submitted on daycare, one from CUPE and the other from the Moncton and District Labour Council.

The first resolution urged the Federation and all the affiliates to negotiate contracts which guaranteed that management take responsibility to financially support child care arrangements. Furthermore the Federation was to demand and support other organizations that were requesting free daycare centres completely financedb y the state and parent-worker controlled.15 The second resolution was similar to those of previous

12 NBFL Proceedings. 1975. 61. 13 NBFL Proceedings. 1976. 138-140. 14 NBFL Proceedings. 1977.20. 15 NBFL Proceedings. 1980. 68.

70 years in calling for the Federation to petition the government to establish daycare centres and standards for operators as well as to establish rates and subsidize families according to total income.16 Both motions were carried.

In 1981 resolutions similar to previous years were submitted.17 In 1982 the

Bathurst and District Labour Council submitted a resolution for the Federation to petition the federal and provincial governments to increase the eligible amount of daycare expenses deductible for income tax purposes.18 They submitted the same resolution in 1983.19 From 1982 to 1984 there continued to be several resolutions calling for subsidized daycare centres. In 1984 the Newcastle-Chatham and District Labour

Council submitted a resolution stating: "Whereas single parents are often unable to attend the annual NBFL Convention because of child care expenses, therefore be it resolved that the NBFL initiate a child care center for the duration of all further annual conventions". The Resolutions Committee deleted the word single and then the motion was carried.20

In 1975 the Union Label Committee reported that they requested that all union members familiarize their wives with the union label as the "Ladies are without question the best shoppers." That year the Union Label Committee was made up entirely of male delegates, although a few years earlier it was dominated by women delegates.22

Discrimination against women was reported in resolutions in 1975. CUPE Local

963 submitted two resolutions on this subject during the convention. The first was that

16 NBFL Proceedings. 1980. 68. 11 NBFL Proceedings. 1981.21-23. 18 NBFL Proceedings. 1982. 42. 19 NBFL Proceedings. 1983.46. 20 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 77. It does not appear that this resolution was implemented. 21 NBFL Proceedings. 1976. 135. 22 The union label is used to identify goods made under union conditions by qualified workers and thus was an attempt to mobilize consumer power in favour of fair wages and conditions.

71 the provincial government should establish a joint Labour-Management Committee to investigate any policy or practice that discriminated against women in the civil service in

New Brunswick. The motion was carried. The second was that the provincial government should play a leadership role in creating gender-neutral job titles and that the NBFL should petition the government to ensure that a job competition should be marked open for both men and women and that all application forms be amended so they did not indicate the applicant's sex or marital status. The committee recommended concurrence and the motion was carried.

There was another note of militancy in 1978, when a resolution submitted by

CUPE asked that the Federation call for a public apology to women from Dr. Everett

Chalmers for statements made as member of the provincial legislature that women with children should have no freedom in the workplace. It also called for his resignation from the provincial legislature. The motion was carried.24

Inequalities remained important in two resolutions submitted by the Bathurst and

District Labour Council in 1981.25 The first was that the Federation petition the provincial government to eliminate all inequalities on the basis of sex currently existing in the law. Also, it was resolved that whenever reference in the Human Rights Code was made to the masculine gender the reference should also be made to the feminine gender. The motion was carried. The second resolution urged the provincial government to establish a committee to survey inadequacies that existed pertaining to women and health care facilities, to ensure that medical devices were properly tested

23 NBFL Proceedings. 1975.70-71. 24 NBFL Proceedings. 1978. 45. 25 NBFL Proceedings. 1975. 76. 26 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 40-41.

72 before they were used on women, and to revise policy to ensure that women were not ignored and that proper treatment was provided for women with addictions.27 The motion was carried.

Additional resolutions pursued the importance of addressing the place of women in society. One resolution submitted by the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Local

60006 stated that the percentage of female workers in low-income jobs remained appreciably higher than for male workers and called on the Federation to pursue the provincial government to establish policies that would eliminate discrimination and ensure women an equal opportunity in the workplace.28 Also in 1981 the Bathurst and

District Labour Council submitted a resolution to change the public education system so that it did not reinforce elitist and sexist values; this would require the province to eliminate sex stereotypes in textbooks, to offer non-sexist career counseling and to support Women's Studies courses. The motion was carried.29 The same labour council submitted a resolution that native women should not lose their rightsi f they moved off a reservation and that education, social, political, legal and religious programs should be conducted in their mother tongue.30 In 1984 PS AC Local 60269 resolved that a microphone at each NBFL conference be reserved for women, and the motion was carried.31

Equal pay for equal work continued to be an issue. In 1981 two resolutions were submitted by CUPE Local 908. The first was regarding equal pay for equal work. The motion was carried that the Federation petition the provincial government to have

21NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 81. 28 NBFL Proceedings. 1981.41. 29 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 17. 30 NBFL Proceedings. 1981.22. 31 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 43-44.

73 corrective measures placed in the Human Rights Code and that the Federation also urge affiliated unions to include equal pay for work of equal value clauses in their collective agreements. The second resolution, also carried, concerned petitioning the provincial government to cease the employers' practice of not having jobs open to both male and female applicants. Similar resolutions were submitted m 1982 and 1984.

Abortion was an issue in 1975 when CUPE Local 1190 submitted a resolution that the NBFL approach the Canadian Labour Congress to demand that the federal government abolish legislation that prevented women in Canada fromhavin g an abortion.33 The motion was carried. In 1981 a similar resolution was submitted by CUPE about women's rightt o choose abortion.34

Safety and compensation issues regarding women continued in 1975 when

CUPE Local 963 proposed to petition the provincial government to change the

Workmen's Compensation Act to the Workers' Compensation Act.35 The motion was carried. In 1978 the executive council of the Federation submitted a resolution regarding occupational health and safety. Several recommendations were highlighted. Female employees were mentioned specifically in one instance where it was said that no female employee should be required to push or pull a cart over a specific weight. Women were not mentioned in the final resolution that was adopted.36

Maternity leave was also addressed in 1977 when CUPE submitted a resolution that the Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress petition the federal government that all women on maternity leave should receive Unemployment Insurance benefits

32 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 39-40. 33 NBFL Proceedings. 1975.86-87. 34 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 81. 35 NBFL Proceedings. 1975. 90. 36 NBFL Proceedings. 1978.103-104.

74 even if the child was adopted. The motion was carried. In 1983 resolutions were submitted by Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 1065, and by the

Saint John and Fredericton and District Labour Councils that the Unemployment

Insurance Act should be amended to extend benefits during maternity leave and that adoptive parents should have the same leave benefits as natural parents.38

In 1982 there were three resolutions concerning the Bethel Nursing Home, including a call to expropriate the home. This was a response to one of the most dramatic union struggles for women workers in the province. The kinds of challenges faced by women workers in the province at this time were illustrated by the situation at the Bethel Nursing Home. In 1981 Joan Blacquier was a staff representative for the

Canadian Union of Public Employees assigned to service a new local, Local 2464 at the

Bethel Nursing Home in Mill Cove. In August that year the local went out on strike for a first contract. The strike lasted for almost 12 months and is well-remembered both in the area and for its importance in the history of women and unions in New Brunswick.

Blacquier spoke in May 2006 at the local's 25th anniversary in Jemseg and said: "a lot of things in my union career I have forgotten, but I have never forgotten that strike .... I never met such beautiful, loyal and hardworking people as what I had in that picket line".39

Education for women emerged in the early 1980s as a priority for the Federation.

In 1982 the Education Committee's Report stated that the Labour Education and Studies

Centre was offering a course entitled "Equal Partners for Change (Women in the

37 NBFL Proceedings. 1977. 44. 38 NBFL Proceedings. 1983. 56-57. 39 Joan Blacquier, speech at the CUPE Local 2464 Anniversary, May 2006. For further information on the Bethel Nursing Home strike, see Appendix Four.

75 Workplace)". In 1982 the Saint John and District Labour Council submitted a resolution that the Women's Committee continue to organize yearly conferences for women, giving the reason that they strengthened the role of women in the labour movement. The motion was carried.41 In 1983 NBFL President Timothy McCarthy's address highlighted a three-day conference on women's issues that took place that year in Memramcook.42

In the early 1980s the Federation also began to draw attention to the issue of abused women. In 1981 the Bathurst and District Labour Council submitted a resolution that the NBFL petition the government to establish and fund programs for women with social and/or economic problems.43 In 1983 four resolutions about battered women and transition houses were submitted by CUPE Local 1418, Moncton and District Labour

Council, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 1065 and the Saint John and District Labour Council. All four were added together and carried, stating that the

Federation should petition the provincial government to increase funding to transition houses, implement a program to rehabilitate aggressors, and that transition houses be operated by a board of directors autonomous from the government of New Brunswick.44

In 1984 the same CUPE local submitted a resolution that the provincial government take over the funding of existing transition houses and that they be run by a board of directors. The motion was carried.45

40 NBFL Proceedings. 1982. 74-75. 41 NBFL Proceedings. 1982. 10. 42 NBFL Proceedings. 1983. 7. 43 NBFL Proceedings. 1981.22-23. 44 NBFL Proceedings. 1983, 54-55. 45 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 91-92.

76 In 1984 affirmative action became the new buzz word at Federation meetings. At the federal level in 1984 Judge Rosalie Abella released a report for the Royal

Commission on Equality in Employment and coined the term Employment Equity to describe the Canadian approach to dealing with employment disadvantage. This term has been used by the federal government thereafter,46 At the Federation in the same year in his address President McCarthy claimed: "A fair economic recovery, furthermore, demands action to guarantee women their fair share of the economic and social rewards of our society. We must do our part to bring this about through the inclusion of affirmative action programs in collective bargaining, by actively pursuing legislative action on the part of all governments in support of affirmative action, and by providing for more equitable representation for women within our decision-making structures."47

Also in 1984 there was a two-part document on Social and Economic Affairs

Resolutions. The document aimed at improving working conditions in the province. At the end of the document there was a list of eight proposed actions. Number two on the list read: "Affirmative Action, involving legislative and collective bargaining initiatives, as well as internal efforts to emphasize women's issues."48 In 1984 there were several resolutions submitted by seven unions and labour councils aimed at improving the

Federation's Affirmative Action plan to compare to the Canadian Labour Congress plan by establishing more positions for women on committees and at conventions. The motion was carried.49

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/lo/lswe/we/information/history.shtml 47 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 15. 48 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 42. 49 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 61-64.

77 The name of the Federation itself also came into question as a result of women's concerns for adequate representation. In 1984 CUPE Local 821 submitted a resolution stating that "in 1983 31.07% of union members were women and half of the population of New Brunswick are women and in 1984 (April) 41.1% of workers were women that the word 'travailleuses' be included in the name FTNB".50 The inclusion of the word

"travailleuses" meant that both genders would be recognized in French; hence "la

Federation des travailleurs et travailleuses du Nouveau-Brunswick (FTTNB)". This amendment in the French-language title would indicate that the Federation included both male and female workers. The motion was carried in 1984, but the name change was not evident in the meeting proceedings until 1990 and even then the change was not uniform throughout the proceedings.

In 1981 there was a resolution for the NBFL to be represented on the Advisory

Council on the Status of Women set up by the provincial government, in part at the urging of the Federation. In his 1982 presidential address, Lawrence Hanley listed the boards to which the Federation had asked to name representatives for the first time, and the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women was one of these boards.51

The idea of establishing a Women's Committee for the NBFL was first mentioned in 1979. In the president's address that year Paul LePage said that in the

January executive meeting it was agreed to establish two new Federation committees, one on Occupational Health and Safety and the other the Women's Committee. He stated that both were warranted and steps were now being taken to set up and activate

50 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 60-61. 51 NBFL Proceedings. 1982. 8.

78 each. In his 1981 presidential address, Phil Booker said that the Women's Committee was appointed and activated in the previous October.53

1981 was the first year for a Women's Committee report. Joan Blacquier was the chairperson and Valentine Ward the secretary, with Dorothy Power Lawson, Bertha

Huard and Debbie Flewelling as members. The report presented four terms of reference for the committee to be approved by the executive of the Federation. First, they were to increase the participation of women in the labour movement in New Brunswick.

Secondly, they were to increase awareness of women's issues and how their position might be improved. Third, they were to press for better provincial legislation and programs covering equal pay for equal value, child care, maternity leave, human rights, affirmative action. And finally,the y were to deal with any other items that might be referred to the committee.54 The report also listed the conventions that the committee members had attended, one of which was a week-long conference in Banff, Alberta with the theme "Equal Partners for Change" that was attended by three members of the

Women's Committee. They were quick to point out that the Federation did not pay for any expenses for the travel to the conventions.55

In 1982 the Women's Committee presented their second report. Joan Blacquier continued as the chairperson, Valentine Ward continued as the secretary, Bertha Huard and Dorothy Power Lawson continued as members. The committee reported that Kathy

Leger had been named a labour representative on the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women. They also reported on a convention held in November 1981

52 NBFL Proceedings. 1979.4. 53 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 8. 54 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 92. 55 NBFL Proceedings. 1981. 92.

79 with the theme "Equal Opportunity and Treatment for Women Workers." The conference was sponsored by the Women's Committee in conjunction with the Canadian

Labour Congress Education and Studies Centre.56

In 1983 the Women's Committee submitted their third report. Kathy Leger was the new chairperson, Valentine Ward continued as the secretary, and the members were

Bertha Huard, Nancy Killam, Dianne Selesse Green, Judy Olsen, Mona Beaulieu,

Darlene Brown, and Joan Blacquier. They reported on various conferences and educational seminars attended by women in the Federation.57 Also in 1983, CUPE local

1172 submitted a resolution for the Federation to financially support unions that have representatives on the Women's Committee to ease the transportation costs of these women to attend the conferences. The motion was carried.58

In 1984 President McCarthy praised the Women's Committee in his address to the delegates. He mentioned that the Women's Committee presented separate submissions to the New Democratic Party task force on the provincial budget at a public hearing in Bathurst. The final report of the NDP task force adopted many of the recommendations dealing with the social and economic implications of the budget.59

In 1984 the Women's Committee submitted their fourth report. Kathy Leger continued as the chairperson, Valentine Ward continued as the secretary, and Bertha

Huard, Darlene Brown, Joan Blacquier were members. The activities of the Women's

Committee that were reported increased exponentially in this report. They continued to report on the mandate of their four terms of reference. Among these were that they had

56 NBFL Proceedings. 1982. 57-58. 57 NBFL Proceedings. 1983. 59-61. 58 NBFL Proceedings. 1983. 93. 59 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 5.

80 encouraged more women to run for offices in the labour movement, and they thanked the Federation for appointing a general vice-president position for women's issues, as they had requested. Also, they petitioned labour councils to provide courses on sexual harassment and reported on their fourth conference theme: "Equal pay for work of equal value". They also mentioned that in June 1983 Premier Richard Hatfield had announced that he was prepared to introduce legislation in order to avoid discrimination in pay between men and women workers. The committee praised the government for recognizing the problem but criticized them in that nothing came out of the promise.

They vowed to continue to pressure the government for legislation.60

As shown in this chapter, the times were changing for the place of women within the Federation of Labour in New Brunswick. It was a slow development, but from the early 1970s to the early 1980s there was a substantial increase in resolutions regarding women's issues. The number of women delegates had increased significantly,61 and the permanent presence of women in the Federation was marked by the more regular election of women officers and, especially, the appointment of a Women's Committee to advance the interests of women within the Federation and within the Federation's activities on behalf of the province's workers.

60 NBFL Proceedings. 1984. 97-100. 61 See Figure Six and Table Six.

81 Table Six

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1975-1984

Male Male Female Female Delegates Percentage Delegates Percentage

1975 316 86% 54 14% 1976 262 86% 42 14% 1977 318 86% 52 14% 1978 321 82% 72 18% 1979 311 80% 76 20% 1980 335 83% 71 17% 1981 308 82% 69 18% 1982 258 76% 81 24% 1983 305 79% 79 21% 1984 281 73% 106 27%

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1975-84.

82 Figure Six

Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Meetings, 1975-1984

1983

1981

1979

1977

1975

0 100 200 300 400

• Male • Female

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1975-84.

83 Table Seven

Men and Women on New Brunswick Federation of Labour Committees, 1975-1984

liiSHHH 29 7 80% 20% IBBH30 7 81% 19% iilHBr1 7 82% 18% 33 8 80% 20%

j^jfUfiJSIB 44 9 83% 17% 44 11 80% 20% 44 10 81% 19% 37 18 67% 33%

43 13 77% 23% 40 18 69% 31%

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1975-84.

84 Table Eight

Geographic Representation of Women Delegates, 1975-1984

Location # of Woman Delegates

Moncton 101 Saint John 87 Province-wide 66 Shippagan 60 Fredericton 45 Caraquet 39 Bathurst 35 Campbellton 28 Edmundston 21

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1975-84.

85 Conclusion

This study has documented the gradual feminization of the labour movement in

New Brunswick over the course of the 20th century, as illustrated through an analysis of the participation of women in the New Brunswick Federation of Labour. The presence of delegates at the conventions of the Federation demonstrated this progress. There were a total of 268 individual women delegates at NBFL conferences from 1919 to 1984.1

This history began in 1921 and 1922; however, women then disappeared almost completely from 1923 to 1950, with the one exception of 1944. They then re-appeared in

1951 and were present at every meeting thereafter to 1963 and since. The early women were always a minority at the meetings, and yet they began establishing themselves in the Federation. They started with a small presence that became more permanent by the end of the period. By 1964 there was a clear acceptance of the participation of women delegates. In 1964 women accounted for seven percent of the delegates at the meetings, but by 1975 women delegates accounted for 15 percent of the delegates at the convention. By 1984 that figure had risen to 27 percent. Moreover, in 1975 20 percent of committee members were women, but by 1984 that percentage had risen to 31 percent.2

By the end of the period studied in this thesis, the NBFL Women's Committee was formed and began to act regularly to advance the causes of working women in the province.

1 See Appendix Two for information on individual women delegates. 2 See Appendix One for more information.

86 The importance of women to the Federation was also apparent in the speeches of visiting speakers such as Grace Hartman, Shirley Carr and of Federation presidents as well. In 1979, for instance, President Paul LePage's address to the delegates criticized the Liberal government and said that the victims of Pierre Elliott Trudeau's economic policies were senior citizens, youth, women, consumers, small business and workers, whether employed or unemployed.3 This recognition shows that women were being counted among the key issues for the Federation by 1979. Similarly, events such as the

Bethel Nursing Home strike in 1981-82 illustrated how the rise of women in the

Federation was accompanied by other kinds of activity outside the meetings. The Local

2464 strike was part of a risingtren d of women in the labour movement.

Resolutions adopted by the NBFL conventions were an important indication of the acceptance of women's issues as matters of importance to organized labour. From

1914 to the 1920s resolutions focused on protecting women and children workers and widows' pensions. There was an increase in resolutions concerning women in the 1960s.

Proposals for a position in the Federation for a female vice-president, daycare and maternity leave were highlighted. In the 1970s abortion and women's rightswa s added to equal pay for equal work, daycare and maternity leave. In the 1980s support for battered women was an issue, and abortion continued as an issue as well as equal pay for equal work.

This study ends in 1984 because of the indication that there was a permanent awareness of women's importance to the future of the Federation. Also, by the end of this time period the NBFL Women's Committee was formed and began to act regularly

3 NBFL Proceedings. 1979.12.

87 to advance the causes of working women in the province. A vice-presidency for women was created in 1984.

Scholars have described such developments as a stage in the "feminization of the labour movement". This study has shown that women in the labour movement in New

Brunswick have been overlooked and that "labour feminism" should be considered a part of both women's history and labour history in the 20th century as Dorothy Sue

Cobble argues for the United States. She calls this the "missing wave"; after the first wave of suffragette feminism and before the second revitalization of the 1960s groups of women in various organizations utilized the labour movement as a vehicle to push for the needs of working women.4 This was true for the women present at the Federation meetings; they used the labour movement as a vehicle to promote women's rightsan d issues in New Brunswick. This study also supports Meg Luxton's argument that working class, union-based women utilized the atmosphere created by the women's movement to create a strong feminist presence in the labour movement in the 1960s and 1970s.5 This was the case in New Brunswick.

This was a very important development in Canadian labour history, as it represented the gradual success of efforts by organized labour to address the changing composition of the working class and specifically to recognize the needs of women workers within the work force. Much of this work was initiated by a small number of women pioneers who may be recognized as the labour feminists of their time. Such individuals as Grace Hartman, and later Judy Darcy, were notable examples. Darcy, who

4 Dorothy Sue Cobble, The Other Women's Movement: Workplace Justice and Social Rights in Modern America. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2004. 5-7. 5 Meg Luxton, "Feminism as a Class Act: Working-Class Feminism and the Women's Movement in Canada," Labour/Le Travail 48 (Fall 2001): 63-90.

88 was CUPE president from 1991 to 2003, has spoken in general about the rising involvement of women in labour: "The movement was a crucible where I watched women, shy and reserved, radicalized by their involvement, transformed by union opportunities".6 In New Brunswick there were also notable women pioneers in the history of the labour unions and of the Federation of Labour. For instance, Joan

Blacquier, to give only one example of the women discussed in this thesis, in 2009 became the first woman to be added to the Honour Roll of the New Brunswick

Federation of Labour.

This study shows the "feminization" of the labour movement in New Brunswick primarily in that the number of women delegates in the Federation of Labour increased over time. Another indication of the "feminization" of the labour movement was the change in attitudes and agenda of the Federation over time, which was the intent of the

Women's Committee within the Federation. This study documents a history of progress and reform, but it is also important to keep in mind that to this day pay equity continues to be an issue and there has not been a female president of the NBFL.7

Judy Darcy, "Bread and Roses: Women Challenging Unions." Our Times: Canada's Independent Labour Magazine February-March 1994,16. 7 A foil list of NBFL Presidents is available on the Labour History in New Brunswick website: http://www.lhtnb.ca

89 Appendix One Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

OMale • Female

1983 1981 1979 1977 1975 1973 1971 1969 1967 1965 1963 1961 1959 1957 1955 1953 1951 1949 ] 1947 1945 1943 1941 1939 1937 1935 1933 1931 1929 1927 I) 1925 1923 1921 1919 0 100 200 300 400 500 SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-84.

90 Male and Female Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

Male Male Female Female Delegates Percentage Delegates Percentage 1919 34 100% 0 0% 1920 56 100% 0 0% 1921 85 99% 1 1% 1922 46 96% 2 4$ 1923 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1924 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1925 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1926 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1927 40 100% 0 0% 1928 37 100% 0 0% 1929 42 100% 0 0% 1930 56 100% 0 0% 1931 76 100% 0 0% 1932 37 100% 0 0% 1933 35 100% 0 0% 1934 36 100% 0 0% 1935 36 100% 0 0% 1936 31 100% 0 0% 1937 36 100% 0 0% 1938 42 100% 0 0% 1939 75 100% 0 0% 1940 59 100% 0 0% 1940 52 100% 0 0% 1941 62 100% 0 0% 1942 68 100% 0 0% 1943 60 100% 0 0% 1944 68 97% 2 3% 1945 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1946 107 100% 0 0% 1947 76 100% 0 0% 1948 85 100% 0 0% 1949 59 100% 0 0% 1950 74 100% 0 0% 1951 94 98% 2 2% 1952 90 93% 7 7% 1953 100 95% 5 5% 1954 137 98% 3 2% 1955 158 97% 5 3% 1956 192 97% 5 3% 1957 193 98% 3 2% 1958 180 99% 2 1%

91 1959 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1960 147 98% 3 2% 1961 149 97% 5 3% 1962 131 98% 3 2% 1963 149 97% 5 3% 1964 162 93% 12 7% 1965 237 96% 9 4% 1966 289 95% 15 5% 1967 224 95% 13 5% 1968 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1969 218 93% 17 7% 1970 222 92% 19 8% 1971 235 89% 28 11% 1972 259 80% 36 20% 1973 303 88% 42 12% 1974 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 1975 316 86% 54 14% 1976 262 86% 42 14% 1977 318 86% 52 14% 1978 321 82% 72 18% 1979 311 80% 76 20% 1980 335 83% 71 17% 1981 308 82% 69 18% 1982 258 76% 81 24% 1983 305 79% 79 21% 1984 281 73% 106 27%

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-84.

92 Appendix Two

Women Delegates at the New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

Name Years Union Residence Place of Work Committees/Elections/Other

Ahier, Jackie 1975 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 Aitken, Carol 1983 National Representative Fraternal Delegate Canadian Labour Congress Aitken, Valerie 1981-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Member Union Label Employees Local 1192 Committee 1982 Albert, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Francis* Workers Local 125 Albert, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie St Joseph's Valmot* Employees Local 856 Hospital Allain, Helen 1978-1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Member Resolutions Electrical Workers Local 1148 Committee Economics and Social Affairs 1979/Secretary Credentials Committee 1980 Allain, Maggie 1979 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 517 Allard, Shirley 1979 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie Restigouche Employees Local 1159 Senior Citizens Home Anderson, 1969, 1970- International Brotherhood of Altholville/ Vera 1971, 1973 Electrical Workers Local 2121 Campbellton Archibald, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton School District Olive Ann Employees Local 1085 Arsenault, 1977-1980 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie Villa Providence Anglia Employees Local 1303 Shediac Arsenault, 1975,1977- Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Member Distribution Jeannine 1978,1982- Workers Union Local 126 Committee 1982/Member 1984 Distribution Committee 1983 Arsenault, 1970-1971 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Rena Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 500 Arsenault, 1984 Moncton and District Labour Moncton Scrutineer 1984 Suzanne Council Babin, Annie 1966 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Bamford, Myril 1967 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Employees Local 720 4^ Barton, Susan 1984 Canadian Union of Public Young Coves Road Mill Cove Nursing Employees Local 2464 Home Barton, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Sodexho-Marriot Fraternal Delegate Wendy Employees Local 846 Addiction Services Bass, Judith 1981-1984 Canadian Union of Public Hampton (Saint School District Employees Local 1061 John) Bastarache, 1982 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Dorine Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 292 Batchelor, 1983-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Dianne Employees Local 813 Hospital Beaulieu, 1981-1984 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Member Distribution Mona Employees Local 1172 Committee 1983/Member Constitution and Laws Committee 1984/Elected General Vice-president 'Female'1984 Benoit, 1969- Canadian Union of Public Campbellton/ Campbellton Member of Union Label Jacqueline 1973,1977- Employees Local 833 Atholville Regional Hospital Committee 1970/Secretary (Jackie) 1983 1972/Secretary Ways and Means Committee 1971, 1982/Chairperson 1983/Secretary Constitution and Laws Committee 1973/Member Resolutions Committee 1977/Member Constitution and Laws Committee 1979/Member Distribution Committee 1981 Bernier, Julie 1981,1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Employees Local 1192 Berry, Lynne 1983 Canadian Union of Postal Moncton Workers Bezusky, 1983 Associate Registrar Labour Fraternal Delegate Jean College of Canada Bishop, Nancy 1975 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 — - - — Black, Diana T980, 1983" United Auto Workers Local Saint John 1905 Blackmore, 1978 Canadian Union of Postal Newcastle Glenna A. Workers Blacquier, 1973,1975- Canadian Union of Public Newcastle/Fredericto Health Care Member Officers Reports Joan 1984 Employees Local 865/Local n/Provincial/Frederict Workers/York Committee 1975/Elected 1506/Local 1190/Local 1506 on Manor/GL&T Prov trustee position 1975/Elected of NB/York Manor trustee position 1976/Elected trustee position 1977/Member Distribution Committee 1981/Elected Vice-president of Carleton, York and Sunbury Counties1981- 1984/Vice-president Union Label Committee 1982/NBFL Officer Distribution Committee 1983/Officer Constitution and Laws Committee 1984

Blair, Janet 1984 Public Service Alliance of Fredericton ON Canada Local 60257 Blanchard, 1972- Representative of the Caraquet Fraternal Delegate 1972- Mathilda 1973,1975- Canadian Seafood 1973,1975-1976/Elected 1978 Workers/Canadian Seafood Vice-president County of and Allied Workers Union Gloucester 1977A/ice- Local 125 president Officers Report Committee 1978 Blanchard, 1972 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Hotel-Dieu Patrice* Employees Local 905 Hospital Blanchard, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Provincial Rehab and Rose-Marie Employees Local 1418 Therapy Bois, Evelyn 1971-1972 United Textile Workers of Marysville Marysville Cotton America Local 1795 Mill Bouchard, 1977- International Brotherhood of Provincial Member Distribution Marie R. 1978,1980 Electrical Workers Local 1148 Committee 1980 Boucher, 1982, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst City of Bathurst Member Resolution Cathie Employees Local 1282 Inside Workers Committee #3 General 1984 (Catherine) Boucher, 1973,1975 Canadian Seafood Workers Shippagan Ghyslaine Union Boucher, 1981-1984 United Auto Workers Local Saint John Member Resolution Marjorie 1905/Saint John and District Committee #1 Labour Affairs Labour Council 1982Member Resolution Committee #3 General 1984/Scrutineer 1984 Boudreau, 1972 Office and Professional Saint John Beatrice Employees International Union Local 1065 Boudreau, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Eileen Employees Local 720 Boudreau, 1971- Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Francis* 1972,1978 Employees Local 720 Boudreau, Lily 1944 United Textile Workers of Moncton Canada Local No. 17 Boudreau, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Lorraine Employees Local 1507 Dame Boudreau, 1980, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Caraquet/Shippagan Villa Beausejour Noella Employees Local 1318/Local Inc./Employes 1378 "Les Res. Mgr Chiasson Inc." Bourque, 1981, "1984 Canadian Union of Postal Saint John Deborah Workers Bourque, 1976-1977 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Maurita Department Store Union Local 1065 Bourque, 1944 United Textile Workers of Moncton Merelda Canada Local No. 17 Boyd, Mary 1979-1983 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Member Constitution and Employees Local 1191 Laws Committee 1980/Member Ways and Means Committee 1981/Member Distribution Committee 1982-1983 Branscombe, 1966 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Mary Employees Local 813 Hospital Brennan, 1975, 1977 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Margaret Employees Local 908 Hospital Brideau, 1979 International Brotherhood of Provincial Member Union Label Ginette Electrical Workers Local 1148 Committee 1979 Brideau, Rita 1975-1980, Canadian Union of Public Saint John Sodexho-Marriot Member Credentials 1982-1983 Employees Local 846 Addiction Committee 1980 Services Brown, 1983-1984 Canadian Union of Public Provincial Rehab and Member Constitution and Darlene Employees Local 1418 Therapy Laws Committee 1984 Brown, Jean 1979 Canadian Food and Allied St Andrews Workers Local 1288 Brown, Joan 1977 Canadian Food and Allied Sussex Workers Local P1183 Brun, Alice 1972-1973, Canadian Union of Public Shediac Villa Providence 1978 Employees Local 1303 Shediac Buchanan, 1972 United Textile Workers of Marysville Marysville Cotton Member of Union Label Louise America Local 1795 Mill Committee 1972 Buckley, Ruth 1977-1978, Canadian Union of Public Saint John 1980,1983 Employees Local 1192 Burke, Debbie 1983 Saint John and District Saint John Member Resolution Labour Council Committee #1 Labour Affairs 1983 Burke, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Sodexho-Marriot Georganne Employees Local 846 Addiction Services Burke, 1958 Dry Cleaning and Laundry Saint John Kathleen Workers Union Local ? Burtt, Effie 1971 United Textile Workers of Marysville Marysville Cotton America Local 1795 Mill Busby, Cathy 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Employees Local 1326 Bustard, Jean 1973 Bakery and Confectionery Moncton Workers Int Union Local 445 Butt, Janet 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Employees Local 1259 Caines, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Susan Employees Local 1259 Caissie, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Shediac Villa Providence Beatrice Employees Local 1303 Shediac Caissie, 1977 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Juliette Workers Local 126 Calder, Louise 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Employees Local 720 Callahan, 1955 International Brotherhood of Saint John Betty Electrical Workers Local No. 1472 Calvert 1965 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Member of Ways and Means (Talbot), Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital Committee 1965 Muriel Cameron, 1981,1983 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Spencers N.H. Peggy Employees Local 1726 Campbell, 1970 International Brotherhood of Campbellton Eloise Electrical Workers Local 2121 Campbell, 1976,1978, Canadian Food and Allied Moncton Member Union Label Margaret 1980 Workers Local 1288 Committee 1978/Fraternal Delegate (1976, 1980) Caron, 1982,1984 Office and Professional Moncton Fraternal Delegate (1982) Michele L. Employees International Union Local 225/ CE&IU Business Agent

- -- . Carr, Shirley 1976,' 1983 Executive VP Canadian Fraternal Delegate Labour Congress Carrier, 1979,1983- Canadian Union of Public Provincial Rehab and Jacqueline 1984 Employees Local 1418 Therapy Carrier, Jeann 1984 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton D'Arc Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Carter, 1980 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Member Union Label Dorothy Department Store Union Committee 1980 Local 1065 Castonguay, 1979-1981 Canadian Union of Public Grand Falls Member Distribution Jeanne D'Arc Employees Local 1200 Committee 1980-1981 Chandler, 1956 International Brotherhood of Saint John Secretary Treasurer of the Muriel Electrical Workers Local No. Local in 1954 1472 Charette, Rita 1981,1983- Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Edmundston 1984 Employees Local 558/ Police Edmundston and District Labour Council Chatterton, 1958 Dry Cleaning and Laundry Saint John Sadie Workers Union Local ? Chenard, 1973,1975- Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Member Union Label Martina 1978 Union Local 122/Canadian Committee 1976 Seafood and Allied Workers Local 122 Chiasson, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Christianna Workers Union Local 117 Chiasson, 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Lameque Lisette Union Local 127 Chiasson, 1973, 1976- Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Member Credentials Marie Jeanne 1978 Union Local 122/Canadian Committee 1977-1978 Seafood and Allied Workers Local 122 Chiasson, 1983 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Noella Workers Union Local 127 Chiasson, 1983 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Rosemonde Workers Union Local 125 Clancy, Gayle 1979,1982- Office and Professional Fraternal Delegate 1984 Employees International Union Local 225/Office Secretary Canadian Labour Congress Clazier, 1973 International Brotherhood of Saint John Marjorie Electrical Workers Local 1148 Clowes, Greta 1975 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 Cody, 1981 Canadian Union of Postal Saint John Celenna Workers Cogswell, 1952 International Brotherhood of Fredericton NB Telephone Gert. Electrical Workers Local No. Company 1472 Colwell, June 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Employees Local 1326 Comeau, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Bertine Workers Union Local 125 Comeau, 1982-1984 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Emelda Workers Union Local 125 (Imelda) Constantine, 1977 Canadian Food and Allied Moncton Linda Workers Local P244 Conway, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Provincial School District Patricia Employees Local 1148 Corey, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Christina Employees Local 2525 Corey, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Newcastle Christina Employees Local 1275 Cormier, 1977 Canadian Union of Public Buctouche School District Claudette Employees Local 1057 Cormier, Mrs. 1964 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Simon Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Cormier, 1972- Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Member Ways and Means Stella 1973,1976- Union Local 125/Canadian Committee 1976/Member 1978,1982 Seafood and Allied Workers Officers Reports Committee Local 125 1982 Cormier, 1954-1957 Laundry Workers Fed. Union Moncton Vail's Star Audit Committee Member Yvonne Local No. 570 Laundry 1956 Cormier, 1975-1976 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Secretary Constitution and Yvonne Railway, Transport and Laws Committee 1975 General Workers Localjj Croft, Lynn 1980-1981 Canadian Paperworkers Chatham Member Distribution Union Local 181 Committee 1980-1981 Crowley, Mary 1978 Canadian Union of Postal Saint John Workers Currie, Alice 1952 Laundry Workers Int, Union Moncton Vail's Star Local No. 360 Laundry Curwin, Lilian 1979 International Brotherhood of Fraternal Delegate Electrical Workers Local 1148 Cyr, Jeanine 1978,1983 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Member Distribution Workers Union Local 132 Committee 1983 Cyr, Monique 1982 Refail Wholesale and Provincial Department Store Union Local 1065 Cyr, Pierette 1982-1984 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Member Officers Report Employees Local 1171 Committee 1984 Daigle, Joan 1971 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal A. Employees Local 1190 Delegate Daigle, Murtle 1982 United Food and Commercial Fraternal Delegate Workers Local 1288

Daigle. Dee 1978-1982, CUPE Local 1866/Regional Saint John Member Distributions Dee 1984 Co-ordinator Educational Committee 1979/Elected Services Canadian Labour trustee position Congress 1979/Chairperson Ways and Means Committee 1980/Elected trustee position 1980/Secretary Officers Reports Committee 1981/Chairperson 1982/Fratemal Delegate 1984/Scrutineer1984 Dalling, 1973, 1975 Canadian Food and Allied Sussex Dorothy Workers Local 1183 Davenport, 1980- Canadian Union of Public Woodstock/H a rvey/P Victoria Glen Phyllis 1981,1984 Employees Local 1429/Local erth-Andover Manor-Perth 1315/Local 1429 Degarie, Ena 1964,1966- Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Member of Ways and Means (Eva? Edna?) 1967,1969 Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital Committee 1966/Member Officers Reports Committee 1967 Delong, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Carmel Employees Local 720 Derocher, 1954-1956 Laundry Workers Fed. Union Moncton Vail's Star Grace Local No. 570 Laundry Dickens, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Carol Employees Local 813 Hospital Dillon, Agnes 1952-1956 International Brotherhood of Saint John NB Telephone International Representative Electrical Workers Local No. Company for the IBEW and President of 1472 the Local in 1954/Contributed to the Audit in 1953/Fratemal Delegate 1954 Doiron, Claire 1972,1975, Canadian Union of Public Moncton Georges Dumont 1977- Employees Local 821 Hospital Moncton 1978,1980- 1982,1984 Donnelle, 1976 Bakery and Confectionery Moncton Clorice Workers Int Union Local 406 Doohan, Rose 1952 International Brotherhood of Fredericton NB Telephone Electrical Workers Local No. Company 1472 Doucet, Marie 1976 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie Restigouche Ange Employees Local 1159 Senior Citizens Home Doucet, Mina 1967 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Doucet, 1981-1983 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Therese Employees Local 1507 Dame Doucet, 1978 International Brotherhood of Provincial Therese Electrical Workers Local 1148 Douglas, 1976,1978, Canadian Food and Allied St Stephen Fraternal Delegate Margaret 1980,1982- Workers Local 1288/United 1976,1980/Scrutineer 1980 1984 Food and Commercial Workers Local 1288 Douglas, 1984 United Food and Commercial Fraternal Delegate Nancy Workers Local 1288 Dufour, Linda 1982 Union of Bank Employees Provincial Member Union Label Local 2106 Committee 1982/Member Distribution Committee 1982 Dugas, Irene 1983-1984 Union of Bank Employees Provincial Member Union Label Local 2106 Committee 1983-1984 Dugay, 1983 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Aldora* Workers Union Local 127 Dugay, Diane 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Lameque Union Local 127 Dugay, 1975-1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Germaine Workers Union Local 127 (Gemma) Dugay, Liette 1983-1984 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Workers Union Local 127 Dugay, 1975- Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Philomene 1976,1978 Workers Union Local 127 Dunham, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Young Coves Road Mill Cove Nursing Brenda Employees Local 2464 Home Dunn, Brenda 1979- Canadian Paperworkers Saint John Member Credentials L. 1980,1982- Union Local 601 Committee 1979/Member 1984 Distribution Committee 1980 Dunn, Janette 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Employees Local 380 Dunsmore, 1971 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Mabel Employees Local 720 Dunstan, 1977 (UNDE) Public Service Moncton Doreen Alliance of Canada Local 305 Duplessis, 1979 Canadian Food and Allied St Andrews Helen Workers Local 1288 Fanjoy, Joan 1977 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 Fearn, Nancy 1973 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Employees Local 813 Hospital Ferron, 1975-1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Member Ways and Means Ernstine Workers Union Local 117 Committee 1979 (not listed as a delegate) Ferron, 1977 United Brotherhood of Bathurst Livian* Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 1264 Finnie, Angela 1984 United Food and Commercial St Stephen Workers Local 1288 Firth, Norena 1970 International Brotherhood of Campbellton Electrical Workers Local 2121 Fitzgerald, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Spencers N.H. Anne Employees Local 1726 - - - - Flanagan, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton York Manor Elizabeth Employees Local 1506 Flann, Eloise 1971 International Brotherhood of Campbellton Electrical Workers Local 2121 Flann, Lois 1979- Canadian Paperworkers Saint John 1980,1982- Union Local 601 1983 Fletcher, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Beaver Foods Lorraine Employees Local 2266 Fobert 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan [Robert?], Workers Union Local 126 Josephine Ford, Cynthia 1976-1979 International Brotherhood of Fredericton Member Credentials Electrical Workers Local 1148 Committee 1978/Secretary 1979 Forestell, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Marie Employees Local 813 Hospital Fraser, Faye 1975 Office and Professional Moncton Employees International Union Local 225 Fraser, Faye 1967, 1969 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton/Fredericton L. Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 5/Fredericton and District Labour Council Gallagher, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Jeannine Employees Local 1282 Gallien, 1977 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Josephine Workers Union Local 127 Gamblin, 1978-1979 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Laurie Anne Employees Local 486 Gammon, 1979 Canadian Paperworkers Bathurst Mary Union Local 534 Garland, 1976 Canadian Food and Allied Sussex Patricia Workers Local P-1183 Gaudet, 1979 Public Service Alliance of Moncton Cecile Canada Local 60305 Gautreau, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Fern Employees Local 821 o Gautreau, 1981 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton ^J Karon Railway, Transport and General Workers Loca[517 Gauvin, Rose- 1980 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Marie Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 517 Gauvin, 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Valier* Union Local 122 Gaynor, 1975- Canadian Union of Postal Moncton Secretary Credentials Barbara 1976,1981 Workers Local 28 Committee 1975-1976, 1981 Gaynor, 1981 Canadian Union of Postal Moncton Carolyn Workers Gillespie, """1972, 1975" Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Marlene Employees Local 380 Gilman, 1979 International Brotherhood of Fredericton Elizabeth Electrical Workers Local 2309 Gionet, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Angelina Employees Local 1507 Dame Gionet, 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Lameque Elmina Union Local 127 Gionet, Julia 1975,1978, Canadian Seafood Workers Shippagan 1984 Union Local 126 Gionet, Leona 1982 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Workers Union Local 125 Gionet, Lise 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Union Local 122 Gionet, 1982-1984 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Member Credentials Majella Workers Union Local 132 Committee 1983/Scrutineer 1983 Gionet, May 1978 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Employees Local 1192 Gladstone, 1975 Canadian Paperworkers Moncton Diane Union Local 882 Glazer, 1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Germaine Workers Union Local 127 Glover, Lettie 1922 United Textile Workers of Milltown Cotton Mill Audit Committee Member and America No. 1394 Third vice-president/Married Herbert Cecil Butler in 1925 Godin, 1982 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Albertine Workers Union Local 117 Godin, 1976 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Benalda Workers Union Local 126 Godin, 1982 Canadian Paperworkers Fraternal Delegate Edwina Union Local 283 Godin, 1983 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Member Officers Reports Monique Workers Union Local 122 Committee 1983/Scrutineer 1983 Goodine, 1980,1982 Retail Wholesale and Provincial/Fredericton Member Credentials Sheila Department Store Union Committee 1982/Scrutineer Local 1065/ Fredericton and 1982 District Labour Council Gould, Peggy 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Employees Local 813 Hospital Goupil, 1973 Canadian Seafood Workers Shippagan Yolande Union Local 126 Graham, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Debbie Employees Local 908 Hospital Graham, Joan 1979 Office and Professional Ottawa Employees International Union Local 225 Grant, Coleen 1981,1983- Canadian Union of Public Saint John Member Distribution 1984 Employees Local 1519/ Local Committee 1983 813 Grant, Julia 1977 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Workers Union Local 126 Grant, Marina 1971- Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Fraternal Delegate 1973,1975- Employees Local Regional Hospital 1971/Secretary Officers 1980,1982- 833/Campbellton-Dalhousie Reports 1975/Elected trustee 1984 and District Labour Council position 1976/Scrutineer 1983/Secretary Union Label Committee 1976, 1980, 1982- 1983/Member 1978/Chairperson 1984 Gravel, Linda 1977 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Department Store Union Local 1065 Green, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Fraternal Delegate Kathleen Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Greene, Mary 1967 Canadian Union of Public Chatham Employees Local 822 Greenlaw, 1976 Canadian Food and Allied Fraternal Delegate Hilda Workers Local 1288 Guitard, 1967 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Gladys Employees Local 908 Hospital Hache, 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Shippagan Lorraine Union Local 117 Hache, Onil 1966,1969- Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie St Joseph's (Olive, Aline) 1973,1975 Employees Local 856 Hospital Hachey, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Armene Workers Union Local 117

Hachey, Gail 1981-1983 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Department Store Union Local 1065 Hamilton, 1976 Canadian Food and Allied Fraternal Delegate Diane Workers Local 1288 Hampton, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Saint John WHSCC Clerical Marlene Employees Local 1866 & Regulatory

Harm, Dian 1981-1983 Retail, Wholesale and Provincial Member Union Label (Diane) Department Store Union Committee 1981/Scrutineer Local 1065/Campbellton and 1982/Fraternal Delegate District Labour Council 1983/Member Distribution Committee 1981/Member Credentials Committee 1982 Harrigan, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Leona Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Hathaway, 1981,1983- Canadian Union of Public Provincial/Perth- GL&T Province of Evelyn 1984 Employees Local 1190/Local Andover New 1429 BrunswickA/ictoria Glen Manor-Perth

Hayes, Verla 1975-1976 United Auto Workers Local Saint John Member Union Label 1905 Committee 1975/Secretary Ways and Means Committee 1976 Hazlett, 1975 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Althea Employees Local 908 Hospital

Hebert, Diana 1980- Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Member Distribution 1981,1984 Workers Union Local 117 Committee 1981 Hebert, " 1977 Canadian Union of Public Buctouche WHSCC Clerical Jeanne- Employees Local 1866 & Regulatory Mance Hebert, 1972,1979- Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Hotel-Dieu Venance* 1980,1984 Employees Local 905 Hospital Hebert, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Shippagan Employes "Les Fraternal Delegate Victoria Employees Local 1378 Res. Mgr Chiasson Inc." Hicks, Betty 1984 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Employees Local 863 Hopper, Jean 1979 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Spencers N.H. Member Distributions Employees Local 1726 Committee 1979 Hovey, 1982-1984 United Food and Commercial St Stephen Pamela Workers Local 1288 Howe, Carol 1977,1979 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Employees Local 1372 Hoyt, Carol 1981 United Auto Workers Local Saint John 1905 Huard, Bertha 1975-1984 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie St Joseph's Secretary Union Label Employees Local Hospital Committee 1977- 856/Campbellton-Dalhousie 1978/Member Resolutions and District Labour Council Committee 1979/Member Resolutions Committee #3 General/Member Resolutions Committee #2 Economic and Social Affairs 1981, 1983- 1984/Scrutineer1982- 1983/Elected trustee position 1983 Hunter, 1975,1977- Canadian Paperworkers Saint John Secretary Union Label Barbara 1979,1981 Union Local 30/Saint John Committee 1975/Secretary and District Labour Council Credentials Committee 1977- 1978/Member Resolutions Committee 1979/Chairperson Ways and Means Committee 1981/Member Distribution Committee 1981/Scrutineer 1981 Hunter, Gloria 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Employees Local 813 Hospital Hunter, Pat 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Employees Local 1326 Hunting, 1966 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Georgine Employees Local 863 Huntington, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Georgina Employees Local 863 Irvine (Irving), 1965- International Brotherhood of Dalhousie/Atholville/ Helen 1966,1970 Electrical Workers Local 2121 Campbellton

Jenner, Marie 1969 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Employees Local 813 Hospital Jennings, 1973, 1978 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Sodexho-Marriot Mary Employees Local 846 Addiction Services Jesso, Doris 1983 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Department Store Union Local 1065 Johnson, 1982-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Maureen Employees Local 813 Hospital Johnston, 1952-1955 International Brotherhood of Saint John NB Telephone Supervisor for NB Tel Frances Electrical Workers Local No. Company 1472 Johnston, 1979-1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Fraternal Delegate Janice Electrical Workers Local 1148 1979/Member Credentials Committee 1980 Jonah, Wanda 1975,1977- Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Member Distributions 1980,1982- Railway, Transport and Committee 1979/Member 1984 General Workers Local 288 Credentials Committee 1983- 1984 Jones, 1984 Canadian Union of Postal Fredericton Roberta Workers Joyce, Francis 1982-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John/St Employees Local 2116 Stephen Nursing Home Keith, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Constance Employees Local 1193 Kelly, Dorothy 1979-1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Fraternal Delegate (Dot) Electrical Workers Local 1148 1979/Member Distribution u> Committee 1980 Kennedy, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Beaver Foods Barb Employees Local 2266 UNB Kenny, Dorice 1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Workers Union Local 132 Kilfoil, Anne 1981 Canadian Union of Public Perth-Andover Victoria Glen Marie Employees Local 1429 Manor-Perth Killam, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Carolyn Employees Local 813 Hospital Killam, Nancy 1982, 1984 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Member Distribution Department Store Union Committee 1982 Local 1065 knoulton, 1975-1977 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Hazel Employees Local 1192 kowFaluck, '1978" Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Rehab and Debbie Employees Local 1418 Therapy Laird (Craig), 1962- NUPE (1962-1963) Hospital Moncton Moncton City Secretary of Credentials Annie 1967,1969- Employees Local 720/CUPE Hospital Committee and Constitution 1973, 1975 (1964-1973) and Laws Committee 1963/Member of Officers Report 1964/Chairperson of Union Label Committee 1966- 1973/Elected trustee position 1967-1970-1973 Landry, Gloria 1982 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Workers Union Local 122 Lang (Long), 1969- Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton City Rachel 1970,1972- Employees Local 720 Hospital 1973,1978- 1979 Lanteigne, 1982 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Eva Workers Union Local 132

Lanteigne, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Julie Workers Union Local 122 Lanteigne 1978, 1982 Canadian Seafood and Allied Caraquet Member Distribution (Lavigne), Workers Union Local 122 Committee 1982 Yvette — — - Lapointe, 1984 United Steel Workers of Belldune Hillary America Local 7085 Laroque, 1977,1979, Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Member Distribution Anna 1982-1984 Workers Union Local 117 Committee 1983 Laroque, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Caraquet Villa Beausejour Carmen Employees Local 1318 Inc. . . _ - - --— - • ------LeBans, 1984 Public Service Alliance of Bathurst Bonnie Canada Local 60269 LeBlanc, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Villa du Repos Charlene Employees Local 2079 LeBlanc, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Charline Employees Local 1315 LeBlanc, 1976, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie Restigouche Eugenie Employees Local 1159 Senior Citizens Home -- - — - — LeBlanc, Lucy 1973 Bakery and Confectionery Moncton Workers Local 406 LeBlanc, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Georges Dumont Marie Anne Employees Local 821 Hospital Moncton

LeBlanc, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Villa du Repos Monique Employees Local 2079 LeBlanc, 1972-1973 Canadian Seafood Workers Inkerman Olivina Union Local 113 Ferry/LeGoulet

- - - - LeBlanc, 1971- Office and Professional Moncton/Ottawa Fraternal Delegate Sylvia 1973,1975- Employees International 1979/Office Secretary NBFL 1976, 1978- Union Local 225/1065/225 1980 1980 LeBlanc, 1978, 1980- Canadian Union of Public Moncton Hopital Georges Therese 1981 Employees Local 821 Dumont (Laurise) LeBouthillier, 1977-1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Eloise Workers Local 126 Leger, 1973,1976- Office and Professional Ottawa/Moncton Member Credentials Kathryn-Ann 1979,1981- Employees Int. Union Local Committee 1976- 1984 225/Bank Worker's Org. 1977/Elected trustee position Committee Canadian Labour 1976/Secretary Ways and Congress Means Committee 1978/Member 1984/Fraternal Delegate 1979/Member Constitution and Laws Committee 1981- 1982/Scrutineer 1981/Member Resolutions Committee #3 General 1983/Elected Vice-president of Kings, Westmorland and Albert Counties 1984 Legere, 1981 Office and Professional Provincial Bernice Employees International Union Local 491 Lewis, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Spencers N.H. Deborah Employees Local 1726 Lewis, Helen 1976 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 517 Lingley, Lois 1964,1967, Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Member of the Ways and R. 1969- Employees Local 863 Means Committee 1970,1972 1964/Secretary Officers Report Committee 1967/Secretary Ways and Means Committee 1968-1969 Lisson, Bertha 1972 Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 500 Little, Donna 1984 United Food and Commercial Moncton Workers Local 244 Logan, Shirley 1980-1981 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton York Manor Fraternal Delegate 1980 Employees Local 1506 Logue, Helen 1961- Bakery and Confectionery Saint John Ways and Means Committee 1964,1966- Workers Int Union Local 445 Member 1963/Member Union 1967,1969, Label Committee 1971-1972 1971-1972 Lyman, Alice 1960-1961 National Union of Public Moncton Moncton City Union Label Committee Employees Hospital Hospital Member 1961 Employees Local 720 MacCurdy, 1982-1984 Canadian Air Line Employees NB District Dorothy Association MacDonald, 1970, 1972 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Joyce Employees Local 863 Macllroy, 1980-1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton York Manor Member Distribution Alma Employees Local Committee 1982 1506/Fredericton and District Labour Council Mackin, Lillian 1966 International Brotherhood of Saint John Electrical Workers Local 1472 MacLeod, 1979,1981- Canadian Union of Public Moncton/Shippagan Spencers Member Distribution Eleanor 1984 Employees Local 1726/ Local N.H./Employes Committee 1983 1378 "Les Res. Mgr Chiasson Inc." MacMillan, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Sherry Employees Local 863 MacNeil, Mary 1984 Canadian Union of Postal Moncton Workers MacQueen, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton York Manor Pearl Employees Local 1506 MacWilliam, 1980, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Spencers N.H. Gloria Employees Local 1726 Mallais, Betty 1975 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 Mallard, 1970-1971 Canadian Union of Public Caraquet Hopital Enfant Amanda Employees Local 943 Jesus de Caraquet Mallet, 1972-1973 Canadian Seafood Workers Inkerman Leontine Union Local 117 Ferry/Shippagan

Mallet, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Shippagan Employes "Les Mariette Employees Local 1378 Res. Mgr Chiasson Inc." Martin, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Eleanor Employees Local 308 Martin, Parise 1982 Canadian Union of Public Grand Falls Employees Local 1200 Martin, 1978 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Therese Employees Local 1172 Maserolle, 1972- Canadian Seafood Workers Inkerman Normande 1973,1975, Union Local 117 Ferry/Shippagan 1979- 1981,1983 Massicotte, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Francois* Employees Local 1172 Masters, 1976, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Denena Employees Local 720 Matthews, 1977,1979- Public Service Alliance of St Andrews/St Jacqueline 1980 Canada Local 60083 Stephen

Mazerolle, 1969 International Brotherhood of Atholville Edna Electrical Workers Local 2121 McCabe, 1981 United Food and Commercial Moncton Darlene Workers Local 244 McCafferty, 1971 United Textile Workers of Marysville Member Union Label Jane America Local 1795 Committee 1971 McClanaghan, 1982 United Food and Commercial St Stephen Eleanor Workers Local 1288 McCormick, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Louise Employees Local 1172 McCrea, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Harvey Bonnie Employees Local 1315 McCurdy, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Dorothy Employees Local 1418 1979/Member Officers Reports Committee 1983 (Not listed as a delegate)/Secretary 1984 (Not listed as a delegate) McDonald, 1981 United Food and Commercial Fredericton Shelia Workers Local 694 McDonnel, 1983 United Steel Workers of Belldune Member Distribution Lindsey America Local 7085 Committee 1983 McFarlane, 1965 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Mrs. D. Employees Local 908 Hospital McFarlane, 1975 Canadian Food and Allied Fraternal Delegate Nancy Workers Local 1288 McGee, 1982-1983 Canadian Union of Public Hampton School District Member Distribution Wendy L. Employees Local 1061 Committee 1982 McGill, Gail 1979 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 McGloin, 1971-1972, Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Member Credentials Obline 1973, 1975 Employees Local Hospital Committee 1973 908/Fredericton & District Labour Council McGrath, Canadian Food and Allied Moncton Member Resolution Catherine ""1979-1984 Workers Local 244 Committee #1 Labour Affairs 1982-1983/Scrutineer 1983/Member Union Label Committee 1984 Mcintosh, Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Susan ""1980 Employees Local 720 Mclntyre, 1979 International Brotherhood of Fraternal Delegate Bernadette Electrical Workers Local 1148 Mclntyre, 1979 International Brotherhood of Provincial Collette Electrical Workers Local 1148 Mclntyre, 1979-1980 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Member Distributions Joella Employees Local 908 Hospital Committee 1979-1980 Mclntyre, 1953 IBEW Local No. 1472 Saint John Veroncia Mclvor, Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Alfreda Employees Local 813 Hospital (Freda) McKinnon, 1975 International Brotherhood of Provincial Barbara Electrical Workers Local 1148 McLaughlin, 1983 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Member Distribution Helena Employees Local 813 Hospital Committee 1982 (Not listed (Helen) as a delegate) McLean, 1979, 1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Fraternal Delegate Joanne Electrical Workers Local 1148 1979/Member Distributions Committee 1980 - - McLean, 1981 United Food and Commercial Fredericton Sadie Workers Local 694 McLean, 1976-1977 Canadian Food and Allied St Andrews Susan Workers Local P-1288 McLellan, 1963-1967, NUPE (1963) Hospital Moncton Moncton Hospital Member of Constitution Laura 1976, 1978- Employees Local 720/CUPE Committee 1965/Secretary 1979 Local 720 Ways and Means Committee 1967 McLeod, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Spencers N.H. Fraternal Delegate Eleanor Employees Local 1726 McNair, 1980-1981 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Member Distribution Kathryn Employees Local 908 Hospital Committee 1980-1981 (Kathy) McNally, 1979-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Sodexho-Marriot Barbara Employees Local 846/Local Addiction 1519/Local813 Services/?/Saint John Hospital McVicar, 1970 Canadian Union of Public Saint John City of Saint John Secretary Officers Reports Barbara Employees Local 486 Inside Workers Committee 1970

Melanson, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Sodexho-Marriot Fraternal Delegate Cathy Employees Local 846 Addiction Services Melanson, 1953 Laundry Workers Int, Union Moncton Vail's Star Claudette Local No. 360 Laundry Melanson, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Villa du Repos Rosaline Employees Local 2079 Melson, Doris 1976 Canadian Food and Allied Sussex Irene Workers Local P-1183 Merchant, 1984 United Food and Commercial Fraternal Delegate Sharon Workers Local 1288 Mercure, 1980, 1982 Canadian Paperworkers Fraternal Delegate 1982 Francine Union Local 283 Merrill, Audrey 1971- Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Secretary Constitution and 1972,1975- Railway, Transport and Laws Committee 1976 1976,1978 General Workers Local 288 Mills, Janet 1952 International Brotherhood of Moncton NB Telephone Electrical Workers Local No. Company 1472 Moore, Mrs. 1967 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Morris, 1984 United Food and Commercial Moncton Sharon Workers Local 244 Morrison, 1980 Bank Workers Union Local NB District Jean 2106 Moses, Ruby 1973 International Association of Saint John Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2253 Mowbray, 1976 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Shirley Employees Local 1248 Mulholland, 1971 International Brotherhood of Campbellton Gerry (Gerald Electrical Workers Local 2121 or Geraldine?) Mullin, Pearl 1964 Canadian Union of Public Newcastle Healthcare Member of the Credentials Employees Local 865 Workers Committee 1964 Murphy, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Chatham Mt St. Joseph Eileen Employees Local 1256 Home Murphy, Lois 1970 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Police M.* Employees Local 61 Protective Association

Myslicki, Ellen 1971 Canadian Union of Public Saint John City of Saint John Employees Local 486 Inside Workers

Naish, Loretta 1980 Public Service Alliance of Gagetown Member Ways and Means Canada Local 60303 Committee 1980 — Naish, Lorreta 1978""" Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Employees Local 303 Noel, Isabelle 1976,1978- Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Member Distributions 1980 Employees Local 1507 Dame Committee 1979 Nugent, 1963- NUPE (1963) Hospital Moncton St Joseph's Secretary of Officers Reports Emilia 1967,1969- Employees Local 856/CUPE Hospital Committee 1964/Member of 1971 (1964-1967,1969-1970) Ways and Means Committee 1965 and 1967/Memberof Officers Reports Committee 1966 and 1969/Chairperson Constitution and Laws Committee 1968/Chairperson Officers Reports Committee 1970/Fraternal Delegate 1971

Olsen, Judy 1975,1978- Canadian Food and Allied St Stephen/St Member Union Label 1984 Workers Local 1288/United Andrews Committee 1980/Member Food and Commercial Officers Reports Committee Workers Local 1288 1981/Secretary 1982/Member Distribution Committee 1981- 1982/Member Credentials Committee 1983-1984

O'neill, 1984 Canadian Union of Postal Fredericton Margaret Workers Pattman, Iris 1977 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Department Store Union Local 1065 Paulin, Hilda 1975-1976 Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Workers Local 127 Pellerin, Lola 1956 International Brotherhood of Saint John C. Electrical Workers Local No. 1472 Pelletier, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Armande Employees Local 1172 Pelletier, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Etiennette Employees Local 1172 Perron, 1979 International Brotherhood of Fraternal Delegate Constance Electrical Workers Local 1148 Pinet, 1978-1982 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Member Distributions Angelina Employees Local 1507 Dame Committee 1979 Pitre, Denise 1984 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Foyer Notre- Employees Local 1507 Dame Pitre, Julienne 1978- Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Hotel-Dieu Member Distribution 1980,1982 Employees Local 905 Hospital Committee 1980 Plourde, 1982 Canadian Paperworkers Fraternal Delegate Joanne Union Local 283 Poirier, Mrs. 1971 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Jean Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Poirier, Marie- 1965 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Campbellton Anne Employees Local 833 Regional Hospital

Porter, Diane 1977 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Porter, 1969 International Brotherhood of Atholville Elizabeth Electrical Workers Local 2121 Power, Diana 1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Shippagan Union Local 126 Power, 1961- International Typographical Moncton Times Transcript Union Label Committee Dorothy 1965,1970- Union Local 636/Moncton and Member 1962/Secretary (Lawson) 1972,1975, District Labour Council 1981/Nominated for a Trustee 1977,1981 position 1962 and in 1963 tied but lost due to coin toss, Elected to Trustee position in 1964/Chairperson of Union Label Committee 1964- 1965/Secretary Constitution and Laws Committee 1971/Chairperson Officers Reports Committee 1972/Secretary Ways and Means Committee 1975, 1977/Elected trustee position 1975/Elected trustee position 1977/Scrutineer1981

Power, Louisa 1978 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Workers Local 126 Powers, Carol 1975,1977 International Brotherhood of Provincial Electrical Workers Local 1148 Powers, Rose 1973 International Brotherhood of Atholville Electrical Workers Local 2121 Price, 1979-1980 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton School District Lorraine Employees Local 1096 Pye, Marion 1966 International Brotherhood oF Saint John Electrical Workers Local 1472 Pye, Shelia 1983 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Employees Local 1259 Ramsey, 1982 Retail Wholesale and Provincial Member Distribution Noella Department Store Union Committee 1982 Local 1065 Richard, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Tracadie Hospital Mariette Employees Local 871 Employees Richard, May 1960 Moncton and District Labour Moncton Council Richard, 1982 Canadian Paperworkers Saint John Stella Union Local 726 Rioux, 1980- Canadian Union of Public Grand Falls Member Distribution Therese 1982,1984 Employees Local 1200 Committee 1980- 1981/Elected trustee position 1981/Member Credentials Committee 1982/Sentinal 1984/Elected trustee position 1984 Robert, 1977- Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Scrutineer 1983 Josephine 1978,1982- Workers Local 126 1984 Roberts, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Caraquet Hopital Enfant Diane Employees Local 943 Jesus de Caraquet Robichaud, 1957 Laundry Workers Fed. Union Moncton Annette Local No. 570 Robichaud, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Provincial Rehab and Ginette Employees Local 1418 Therapy Robichaud, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Lameque Employes "Les Madonne Employees Local 2109 Res. Lucien Saindon" Robichaud, ~1975/1977- Canadian Brotherhood of Moncton Mary 1978 Railway, Transport and General Workers Local 517 Robinson, 1981 Public Service Alliance of Chatham Tracy Canada Local 30302 Rodenhymer, 1979 Canadian Union of Public Fraternal Delegate Odette Employees Local 1418 Roop, Mary 1969 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Employees Local 813 Hospital Roussel, 1973 Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Member Officers Reports Alouzia Union Local 113 Committee 1973 Rousselle, 1977 Canadian Union of Public Tracadie Emerntine V. Employees Local 1088 Rowel, Susan 1983 Public Service Alliance of NB&PEI Canada Local 60004 Russel, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton York Manor Bernice Employees Local 1506 Saulnier, Rita 1973, 1983 United Paperworkers SainF John Member Distribution International Union Local 726 Committee 1983 Saunders, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Lorraine Employees Local 380 Savoie, Anne 1970-1973 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton/ Campbellton Member Union Label Marie Employees Local 833 Atholville Regional Hospital Committee 1971

Savoie, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Bathurst Hotel-Dieu Livonie Employees Local 905 Hospital Savoie, Nicole 1981 Canadian Union of Public Woodstock Rehab and Employees Local 1418 Therapy Savoie, 1977- Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Member Distribution Noelline 1978,1982 Workers Local 126 Committee 1982 Savoie, 1977- Canadian Seafood and Allied Lameque Normande 1978,1984 Workers Local 127 Savoie, 1981 Canadian Union of Public Tracadie Hospital Sandra Employees Local 871 Employees Savoie, 1982-1984 Canadian Seafood Workers Caraquet Member Distribution Victoria Union Local 122 Committee 1983 Savoy, Kay 1969 Bakery and Confectionery Saint John Workers Int Union Local 445 Savoy, Phyllis 1980, 1982 Canadian Union of Public Dalhousie/Campbellt St Joseph's Employees Local 856/Local on Hospital/? 863 Sean, Shirley 1979 International Brotherhood of Fraternal Delegate Electrical Workers Local 1148 Sewell, Vivian 1983 United Food and Commercial St Stephen Workers Local 1288 Shannon, 1922 United Textile Workers of Milltown Cotton Mill Ways and Means Committee Sara America No. 1394 Member/Elected District vice- president for Charlotte County/Married George Heffeman in 1935 Shaw, Nancy 1978 Public Service Alliance of St Andrews Canada Local 1288 Smith, 1984 Bathurst and District Labour Bathurst Darlene Council Smith, 1976 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Florence Employees Local 908 Hospital Smith, Inez 1972 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Smith, Mona 1982-1983 Canadian Union of Public Chatham Employees Local 1388 Smith, Vivian 1962,1964,1 NUPE (1962) Hospital Moncton "Moncton City Constitution and Laws 966,1969,19 Employees Local 720/CUPE Hospital Committee Member 1962 72-1973 (1964,1966,1969,1972-1973) Sommerville, 1971-1973 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John Leslie Employees Local 813 Hospital St Pierre, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Alice Employees Local 863 St Pierre, 1975 Canadian Seafood and Allied Shippagan Mariette Workers Local 126 St. Laurent, 1965 International Brotherhood of Dalhousie Member of Officers Report Joan Electrical Workers Local 2121 Committee 1965 Steeves, 1972-1973 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Helen Employees Local 863 Steeves, Joan 1977-1979 Office and Professional Ottawa Employees Int. Union Local 225 Steeves, Viola 1960 United Packinghouse Moncton Workers of America Local 244 Steven, 1969 Canadian Union of Public Campbellton Gerald (Mrs.) Employees Local 863 Stever, Lodina 1970-1972 Canadian Union ofl^ubllc Bathurst Hotel-Dieu (Laudina) Employees Local 905 Hospital Sullivan, 1984 Canadian Union of Public River Glade Joyce Employees Local 1193 Theriault, 1971-1972, Canadian Union of Public Edmundston/Newcas School Jeannine 1977,1982 Employees Local 588/Local tle/Edmundston District/Health (Jeanne) 865/Local 588 Care Workers/School District Theriault, 1980-1982 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston Nicole Employees Local 558/ Edmundston and District Labour Council Theriault, 1980-1981 Canadian Air Line Employees NB District Sandra Association Therrien, 1984 Canadian Union of Public St Basile Foyer St-Joseph Geralda Employees Local 1439 Therrien, 1982, 1984 Canadian Union of Public St Basile Foyer St-Joseph Jeannette Employees Local 1439 Thibodeau, 1979 Canadian Paperworkers Bathurst Helen Union Local 534 Thibodeau, 1984 Office and Professional Ottawa Secretary Credentials Louise Employees International Committee 1984 Union Local 491 _ Thompson, 1975 United Auto Workers Fraternal Delegate Daisy Thorne, Nellie 1921 Hotel and Restaurant Saint John Prince William Employees' International Hotel Alliance No. 321 Torrance, 1981-1982 United Food and commercial St Stephen Member Credentials Helen Workers Local 1288 Committee 1982 Totten, Lillian 1979 Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Employees Local 380 Tozer, 1980 Canadian Union of Public Chatham Mt St. Joseph Barbara Employees Local 1256 Home Tozer, 1983-1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John Saint John/St Genevieve Employees Local 2116 Stephen Nursing Home Trefry, Anna 1984 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Trites, Patricia 1975-1976 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Employees Local 720 VanBuskirk, "1951 -1953 Laundry Workers Int, Union Moncton """VaiT's Star"" Contributed to the Report of Reta Local No. 360 Laundry the Constitution Committee 1952 Vautour, 1979, 1984 Canadian Union of Public Saint John School District Diane Employees Local 380 Vienneau, 1976 Canadian Union of Public Chatham Foyer Notre- Lorraine Employees Local 1507 Dame Vienneau, 1975 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Mt St. Joseph Mabel Employees Local 1256 Home _. — . __ Voisine, 1978 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Zelande Employees Local 821 Waling 1967, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Chatham (Watling), Employees Local Sylvia 822/Newcastle-Chatham and District Labour Council Wallace, Mary 1964 Bakery and Confectionery Saint John Workers Int Union Local 445 Walsh, Janet 1979 Canadian Union of Public Spencers N.H. Fraternal Delegate Employees Local 1726 1979/Member Distributions Committee 1979 Walsh, Leone 1983 Canadian Paperworkers Newcastle Member Distribution Union Local 689 Committee 1983 Ward, 1975- Office and Professional Bathurst/Ottawa/ Member Resolutions Valentine 1982,1984 Employees Int. Union Local Toronto Committee Economics and 343 Social Affairs 1979/Secretary Resolutions Committee #3 General 1980/Chairperson 1981/Member 1982/Scrutineer 1982/Chairperson Constitution and Laws Committee 1984 Webster, Jean 1973,1975, Canadian Union of Public Saint John WHSCC Rehab 1979 Employees Local 946 Center Welsh, Evelyn 1951 Laundry Workers Int, Union Moncton Vail's Star Local No. 360 Laundry Welton, Edna 1979 Canadian Food and Allied Moncton Workers Local 244 Wesihover, 1980 Canadian Food and Fraternal Delegate/Scrutineer Joan Commercial Workers P1288 1980 Westhaver, 1983-1984 United Food and Commercial St Stephen Joan Workers Local 1288 Westhaver, 1980-1981 Canadian Food and Allied St Andrews Natasha Workers Local 1288 Whitehead, 1979-1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Fraternal Delegate Dorothy Electrical Workers Local 1148 1979/Member Distribution Committee 1980 Williams, " 1970 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Marian Employees Local 720 Wilson, 1973 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Wilson, Eileen 1979 Canadian Union of Public Fredericton Fredericton Employees Local 908 Hospital Wilson, 1979,1980 International Brotherhood of Provincial Fraternal Delegate Georgina Electrical Workers Local 1148 1979/Member Distribution Committee 1980 Wilson, 1966 International Association of Saint John Marion Machinists Local 835 Winchester, 1982,1984 International Longshoreman's Edmundston/ ?/Saint John Brenda Association Local Saint John Hospital 273/Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 813 _ Winchester, 1980-1984 Canadian Union of Public Edmundston/ School District Sentinel 1982-1984 Louise Employees Local 588/Office Provincial/ (CUPE) and Professional Employees Edmundston Int. Union Local 491/Canadian Paperworkers Union Local 29/Edmundston and District Labour Council Young, 1972 Canadian Union of Public Moncton Moncton Hospital Patricia Employees Local 720

*Eileen Panasuk (CUPE) was listed as the secretary member of the Constitution and Laws Committee in 1977 but was not listed as a delegate. *Claudette Savoie was listed as a member of the Distribution Committee in 1981 but was not listed as a delegate. *Odette Hebert was listed as a member of the Distribution Committee in 1982 but was not listed as a delegate. * 1923-1926: no list of delegates. *Meeting cancelled in 1945 to conform to wartime regulations. *1959: meeting minutes never published. *1968: no list of delegates, but these women appeared in the proceedings: Lois Lingley, Emelia Nugent, Annie Laird (on committees) *1974: no convention. *Guests at the NBFL meetings are not included in this data. * Delegates marked with an asterisk have been identified as possible males, but have been tentatively included in the data as women. *This table includes delegates listed as Fraternal Delegates that were present at meetings but unable to vote.

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence mNBFL Proceedings, 1914-84. Appendix Three

Locals with Women Delegates at New Brunswick Federation of Labour Conventions, 1919-1984

1919-1963 Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Association- No. 321. United Textile Workers of America/United Textile Workers of Canada- Locals 1394, and 17. Laundry Workers Union- Locals 360, and 570. United Postal Workers of America- Local 244. Canadian Union of Public Employees- Locals 720, and 856. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Local 1148. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Local 445, International Typographical Union- Local 636.

1964-1974

Canadian Union of Public Employees- Locals 856, 833, 720, 883, 865, 905, 813,1303, 1190, 821,380, 822,908, 863, 846,943,486,61,588 and 946. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Locals 2121,1148, and 1472. Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers- Locals 517, 500, 5, and 288. Canadian Seafood Workers Union- Locals 126,122,125,113, and 117. Textile Workers Union of America- Local 1795. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Locals 445 and 406. Office and Professional Employees International Union- Locals 1065 and 225. Canadian Food and Allied Workers- Local 1183. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers- Locals 2253 and 835. International Typographical Union- Local 636. Canadian Paperworkers Union- Local 726.

*Unions/Locals present before 1964 that were no longer represented: Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Association- No. 321 United Textile Workers of America/United Textile Workers of Canada- Locals 1394, and 17. Laundry Workers Union- Locals 360, and 570. United Postal Workers of America- Local 244.

133 * Locals present before 1964: Canadian Union of Public Employees- Local 720, and 856. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Local 1148. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Local 445. International Typographical Union- Local 636.

1975-1984 Canadian Union of Public Employees- Locals 60, 76, 308, 380,486, 558, 588,720, 813, 821, 833, 846, 856, 863, 865, 871, 905,908,943, 946,1057,1061,1069,1085, 1088,1096,1148,1159,1171,1172,1190,1191,1192,1193,1200,1248,1256, 1259,1275,1282,1303,1315,1318,1326,1372,1378,1388,1408,1418,1429, 1439,1506,1507,1519,1726,1866,2079,2109,2116,2266,2464, and 2525. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Locals 1148, and 2309. Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers- Locals 5,288, 517, and 292. Canadian Seafood and Allied Workers Union- Locals 117,122,125,126,127, and 132. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Local 406. Office and Professional Employees International Union- Locals 225,343, and 491. Canadian Food and Allied Workers- (1981 United Food and Commercial Workers) Locals 1288 (P1288), 1183,244, and 694. International Typographical Union- Local 636. Canadian Paperworkers Union- Locals 30, 534,601,181,283,29, 726,608, and 689. United Auto Workers- Local 1905. Canadian Union of Postal Workers- Locals 28, Moncton, Saint John, Newcastle, and Fredericton. Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union- Local 1065. Public Service Alliance of Canada- Locals 305 (UNDE), 60083,303, P1288,60305, 60303, 30302,60004, 60257, and 60269. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America- Local 1264. Canadian Air Line Employees Association- NB District. Union of Bank Employees- Local 2106. United Steel Workers of America- Local 7085. International Longshoreman's Association- Local 273.

*Unions/Locals present before 1975 that were no longer represented: Textile Workers Union of America- Local 1795. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers- Locals 2253, and 853. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Locals 2121, and 1472. Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers- Local 500. Canadian Seafood Workers Union- Local 113. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Local: 445. Office and Professional Employees International Union- Local 1065. Canadian Union of Public Employees- Locals 822, and 883.

134 * Locals present before 1975: Canadian Union of Public Employees- Locals 380,486, 588, 720, 813, 821, 833, 846, 856, 863, 865,905, 908, 943,946,1190, and 1303. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers- Local 1148. Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers- Locals 5, and 288. Canadian Seafood and Allied Workers Union- Locals 117,122,125, and 126. Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America- Local 406. Office and Professional Employees International Union- Local 225. Canadian Food and Allied Workers- Local 1183. International Typographical Union- Local 636. Canadian Paperworkers Union- Local 726.

SOURCE: Data compiled from evidence in NBFL Proceedings, 1919-84.

135 Appendix Four

The Bethel Nursing Home Strike, 1981-82

In 1981 the Bethel Nursing Home in Mill Cove was the largest employer in that part of Queens County. It was owned by the Reverend Lester Blakney through a non­ profit company, Bethel Home Inc. An associated commercial company included a restaurant, motel, gas station and grocery store, all located beside the nursing home on the TransCanada Highway. The home was important to the local economy, especially but not exclusively for women. The majority of the workers at the home were women, but some men were employed as orderlies and for maintenance work.1

The union was formed in March 1981 as workers were concerned about then- lack of rights as well as the condition of patient care. In an attempt for a first contract the owner refused to bargain, and on 27 August of that year the local and its 56 members went out on a legal strike. They had been in a legal strike position since July. When they started picketing, there was so much enthusiasm from members and their families and friends that they blocked off the entire 150-foot stretch of highway with a line of cars.

By the second week, a court injunction upheld the rights of the picketers but did provide two access corridors to the establishment.

Running parallel to the labour dispute was an investigation into the practices of the home. The union was formed in March 1981, and in July 1981 three sworn affidavits questioning the care-giving and financial practices of the home were presented to

This chronology was completed 14 May 2006 by Kimberley Dunphy from newspaper clippings contained in the scrapbooks of Marlene Welton and Anna Adamson. The scrapbooks were loaned by CUPE Local 2464 to the "Reconnecting with the History of Labour in New Brunswick" Community- University Research Alliance Project.

136 Premier Richard Hatfield's office. The affidavits were signed by Dr. Diane Stackhouse, the attending physician at the nursing home, Heather McGowan, a registered nurse who had recently resigned from the nursing home, and the only union member to sign an affidavit, Jean Moss, a former bookkeeper of the nursing home. The following month

Brenda Robertson, Minister of Health, appointed a team of investigators including an administrative consultant, a nursing consultant and auditors to investigate the home.

The strike entered a new stage on 10 September, when Minister Robertson withdrew the licence of the Home, citing the results of the August inspection as well as the labour dispute. The 100 residents were relocated to hospitals. But at the Home the picket lines continued for many more months. The courts limited picketing in October to six picketers and two cars, on the grounds that there were incidents of vandalism. The strike was strongly supported by truckers who boycotted the Blakneys' truck stop and the local put up a sign on the highway to thank them. Strike pay from the union ran out in December, resulting in many families doing without, especially in families with multiple members working at the Home. CUPE representative Phil Booker remembers being on the picket line every night from midnight to 8 a.m. and paid tribute to the members at the recent anniversary: "This local, from the time it started, I think, as a whole crew had probably more guts than I ever saw in people in a local before or since".2

The community was divided by the strike. Mary Moss, the local president, had one of the trucker signs on her lawn. It was taken and burned, and she was told that her home would be burned as well. Moss claims it was a scary time for all involved in the strike, but that it was worth the fight to get workers' rights and better patient care. In an

2 Phil Booker, speech at the CUPE Local 2464 Anniversary, May 2006.

137 interview Moss reminisces about the strike: "it was a hard old winter that winter, nobody had any money because we were getting like fifty dollars a week strike pay but people they came along the picket line and would give us stuff.. .we probably had the best

Christmas we ever had, you'll hear everybody say that".3

In December Minister Robertson released the reports from the investigation of the home. The reports validated the claims that had been made by union members since the struggle began. In the report Robertson said: "In one instance a fourteen year old boy was giving medication and in another an eighty-one year old woman was acting in a supervisory capacity." The report detailed a number of concerns including failing to meet standards of care and financial irregularities. Medications were not kept in locked cabinets at all times. There were not enough required hours being provided by registered nurses, no planned in-service education and minimal on-the-job training. Misuse of patients' comfort allowance of $70 per month was found. In one instance, a woman who could not use a wheelchair was charged for one, and the chair could not be located in any of the wards. Most importantly for the union the report also recommended that

CUPE Local 2464 should be recognized and negotiated with until an agreement was reached.

By April the New Brunswick Federation of Labour and CUPE were both calling on the province to expropriate the Home. The government declined to take such an extreme action, but the situation finally changed in June 1982 when the Home was sold for $1.3 million to a new group of 12 businessmen headed by Harold Bamford of

Fredericton and the name was changed to the Mill Cove Nursing Home Inc. The new

3 Interview with Mary Moss. 26 July 2006.

138 owners were willing to negotiate, and a collective agreement was signed on 4 August

1982. The Mill Cove Home re-opened in September.

The struggle at the nursing home had involved both working conditions and patient care, and it is also important to note that this was a rural area and that the local was composed mainly of women. It was an important experience for Joan Blacquier, who was one of CUPE's first women staff members. She has stated that she "earned her spurs"4 in the 1981 strike. Blacquier had started working in the late 1960s. She was a member of Local 865 at the Miramichi Hospital. She started in the kitchen and then moved to security. Shortly after starting at the hospital she became a shop steward and then a secretary for the union, and then president of the local. When there was an opportunity to work on staff for the union, she was afraid that her Grade Ten education would prevent her from getting the job with CUPE. She was told by John 'Lofty'

MacMillan that what she lacked in education she made up for in loyalty. She was one of the first five women staff representatives to be hired by CUPE in Canada. Later she was one of twelve women from Canada to represent the Canadian Labour Congress at an international women's conference in Madrid, Spain. Also at this time she was chairman for the Women's Committee for the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, and for 16 years she was the coordinator for the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home

Unions.5

Jean Moss began by trying to teach the women at Bethel Home that they had rights, and that if they stood up united they wouldn't lose their jobs. Both Jean and Mary

Moss were fired from the home shortly after they began spreading these sentiments.

4 Interview with Joan Blacquier. 8 March 2006. 5 Interview with Joan Blacquier. 8 March 2006.

139 However, with the introduction of Blacquier, a strong woman who was not afraid to say anything and could identify with the working class backgrounds of the women, they were strengthened enough to fight a battle for their rights that lasted a year.

Blacquier faced discrimination when she first became a rep for CUPE. She describes her treatment at a meeting: "They would sit there and listen to other reps but they never gave me any credence. They didn't think I had a brain."6 Blacquier claims that the beginning of her career proved the old adage: she had to work twice as hard as the men, and only when she started winning more cases than them did she get some recognition. Three other CUPE reps had attempted to organize the Bethel workers, but quickly gave up as they claimed the workers kept reading them passages fromth e Bible.

When Mary Moss, the future president of the local, contacted Blacquier to plead with her to organize, Blacquier told her straight out that she was not religious. She also said that the women had to prove to her they had the numbers to organize. Moss and others were able to get the cards signed and Blacquier put in the application for the union.

Blacquier in turn was a mentor to Susan Barton, who had worked at the home when she was 12 - and was fired at age 13 because she refused to give medications - and now works for CUPE herself; Barton was involved in organizing the local and at the anniversary recalled: "the respect our local has always had for the job we did in standing up and organizing against an extremely difficult employer.... Local 2464 has had a tremendous amount of respect and popularity in the labour movement in this province".7

The strike was important too because it was the first major struggle for nursing home unions in the province. Before Local 2464 was formed, 24 other nursing homes

6 Interview with Joan Blacquier. 8 March 2006. 7 Susan Barton, speech at the CUPE Local 2464 Anniversary, May 2006.

140 were successfully organized; but Local 2464 faced an employer not willing to bargain. If the workers had given up, this would have discouraged other nursing home workers from organizing and would have encouraged other employers to resist workers who wanted to exercise their right to collective bargaining.

141 Bibliography

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Scrapbooks of CUPE Local 2464: newspaper clippings contained in the scrapbooks of Marlene Welton and Anna Adamson. The scrapbooks were loaned by CUPE Local 2464 to the "Reconnecting with the History of Labour in New Brunswick" Community-University Research Alliance Project.

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147 Curriculum Vitae

Kimberley Michelle Dunphy

Education: B.A. Honours History, University of New Brunswick, 2006

Conference Presentations: 1. "The Feminization of the Labour Movement in New Brunswick: Women in the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, 1913-1963," New Brunswick Federation of Labour Annual Women's Conference, March 2008.

2. "The Early Women: The First 50 Years of Women in the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, 1913-1963," 9th Annual University of Maine/University of New Brunswick International Graduate Student History Conference, September 2007.

3. "Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 2464: The Bethel Nursing Home Strike, 1981-1982," 8th Annual University of Maine/University of New Brunswick International Graduate Student History Conference, October 2006.

4. "The Bethel Nursing Home Strike: 1981-1982," Labour History Workshop at the Universite de Moncton, June 2006.