Labour Day
Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, September 7, for Labour Day.
Did you know that this holiday has its roots in an important labour struggle?
In 1872, printing workers in Toronto went on strike to demand a nine-hour workday, at a time when working ten hours or more a day was common.
Their fight quickly gained momentum. Some 10,000 people took to the streets to support them. Union leaders were arrested because, at the time, union activity could still be considered illegal.
Their mobilization helped bring about change. That same year, the federal government passed legislation legalizing trade unions in Canada.
More than 150 years later, this holiday reminds us that many of the rights we now enjoy in our everyday working lives began as demands made by workers who chose to stand together and take action.
This Labour Day, let’s recognize how far we’ve come and all those who continue to advance workers’ rights.