Labour celebrates proud history

BY LAUREL MYERS

While many Canadians regard Labour Day as the last long weekend of the summer, there's a lot more to celebrate than having an extra day off work and canadian workers have much to recognize again this Sept. 3.

The origins of Labour Day date back to the 1870s, a time when any union activity was considered illegal and union organizers were jailed. Today's festivities celebrate a life made better by their actions.

Labour Day is worldwide holiday that celebrates the economic and social achievements of workers.

It was first celebrated in New York on Sept. 5,1882 and has been celebrated in Canada since the 1880s. The first Labour Day parade in Winnipeg, in 1894, was two miles long.

"The whole importance of Labour Day is to look at our history, turn the clock back a half century or more and look at where we were then and look where we've come," said Wyman MacKinnon, president, CUPE Local 4705.

"The biggest player in bringing progress in human and workers rights forward were labour unions and were done by the labour movement with great difficulty."

However the labour movement didn't just affect the unionized workers. There were tremendous benefits for the non-unionized workers as well.

"For the ordinary working person, we've fought for better health care, better working conditions, health and safety legistlation and human rights," MacKinnon said.

"Just about everything that affects a person's life 24 hours a day, seven days a week, labour has played a part in making this a better place for them to live."

MacKinnon, who described himself as a die-hard trade unionist, believes Labour Day is an occasion to remind people of the good times and the hard times.

"We still have many battles to fight and many victories yet to celebrate, but we should be celebrating our past victories as well," he said. "It's been a major work in progress but it's one that we can never let our guard down because everyday, there is a segment or a government somewhere in the world that is trying to take away the things we've fought, and in some instances, died for."

This year, the Sudbury and District Labour Council will be hosting their annual Labour Day celebrations - Labour Day 2007 Stronger Together.

The celebrations will begin with a parade in Memorial Park at 10 am Monday. A picnic will follow, running from noon to 6 pm at the Mine-Mill CAW Campgrounds at Richard Lake.

A number of activities will be running throughout the picnic, including face painting, races, swimming, horseshoes, and bocci ball.  All are invited to attend. Visitors are also asked to bring dry goods for a donation to the Food Bank.