Women and their role in the labour movement and unions in Canadian History

Women and their role in the labor movement and unions in Canadian History

Equal employment policy for women stands at an historic juncture in the advanced industrial democracies . In Canada , a federal Human Rights Act went into effect March 1 , 1978 . It not only established a commission to handle complaints of discrimination but also introduced the principle of equal pay for work of equal value , making possible the adjustment upward of women 's wages based on a comparison of the rates of pay for women who work in dissimilar jobs . This represents

a radical departure from similar policy in other countries . Four approaches to equal opportunity and equal pay policy stand out : collective agreements between trade unions and employers a legal strategy emphasizing litigation a legal strategy involving administrative enforcement and general employment and training programs . The activities of women 's organizations and of women in trade unions facilitated the achievement of equal opportunity policy through these means . The time , courage , and commitment which so many women have given to formulating , implementing , and fighting for equal pay and equal opportunity policies are the bedrock of the successes that have been achieved . This work will develop a heightened appreciation of the women 's labor movement and consider its role in Canadian history

Since the 1900s , Canadian women 's groups have remained strong and consistent voices for reforming or creating policies influencing labor policies . At the turn of the century , several women 's groups were actively involved in social reform , but the most influential was the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC . Founded in 1893 , NCWC was established by middle-class women who believed that women 's mothering and nurturing within the home could be transferred to the public sphere resulting in more humane and progressive social policies . This ideology has been labeled 'maternal feminism . NCWC lobbied for children 's aid societies , mother 's pensions , minimum age-of-work legislation , and curfew and truancy acts as strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency Although members campaigned for jobs for women in social work , teaching nursing , recreation , and police work , they undercut the same professional advances by insisting that women 's most natural place was at home

Numerous other women 's groups began in the early years of the twentieth century . For example , the Young Women 's Christian Association focused on providing a safe place for young urban working women to live , and has continued to provide accommodation , community activities , and support groups for women and their families up to the present . The Women 's Christian Temperance Union promoted child protection legislation and reformatories for juvenile delinquents , as well as fighting for the prohibition of alcohol which was viewed as detrimental to family life The Canadian Federation of Women 's Labor Leagues also focused on concrete reforms of working conditions such as maternity leave and equal pay for equal work . Women 's groups flourished during the first half of the twentieth century , although most accepted the patriarchal family and worked within the tradition of volunteerism

Mary Corse...