On May 15, 1872, a Nine-Hour Movement started in Hamilton, Ontario to regulate working hours.
On June 14, 1872, the Trades Union Act passed under the leadership of Prime Minister John A. McDonald. In 1873, the Canadian Labour Union (CLU) was formed. Some of the goals of the CLU included shorter working hours and the elimination of child and convict labour.
By 1873, however, a financial crisis loomed. Many banks and businesses failed, causing workers to lose their jobs. Existing CLU members left, and new members could not be brought in. Since people were desperate for work, no one wanted to do anything to anger employers. Therefore, in 1878, the CLU was eliminated.
By the 1880s and 1890s, the economy and union membership were expanding again. In 1883, the Labour congress of Canada (which later became the trade and labour congress of Canada [TLC]) was formed. In 1992, the trade union and labour relations consolidation act passed as law.
According to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c.52), a trade union:
- Consists of workers of one or more descriptions, and primarily regulates relations between workers and employers or employer's associations, or
- Consists of constituent or affiliated organizations and/or their representatives, and primarily regulates relations between workers and employers, or workers and employer's associations, or between its organizations (Trade Union and Labour Relations, 1992).
Thus, a trade or labour union is an organization that is made of workers in the same trade. It talks to employers, trying to obtain better wages, hours and working conditions for all. Unions also allow employees to strike if their conditions are not being met by their employers, but employers are usually open to negotiations.
Independent trade unions are not:
- Under control of employers or groups of employers
- Liable to be under such control
Workers performing a specific trade are in a craft union. Industrial union workers all work in a specific industry.
