Labourers Union in B.C. (Canada)

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Thomas on February 11, 2011 at 2:45

Back in 2008 I did extensive research and interviews for the booklet on the 100 aniversary of the Hamilton and Brantford Building Trades. I have the written transcripts of the interviews with Sam DeLuca president of the of Labor’s International union of America Local 837, from 1963 to 1993 and Manny Besto Business Agent LIUNA Local 837 from 1994. Below is an excerpt from the booklet. If you want the transcrits etc let me know by email

On April 13, 1903, in a
construction industry rife with dangerous working conditions and low wages, the
International Hod Carriers and Building Laborers Union held its founding convention.
The union later became the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). By 1907, the union represented 11,000 construction workers, many of them recent immigrants to the United States.
LIUNA Local 837 was given its first charter in Hamilton in 1953—the third Local in
Ontario, after Windsor (1949) and Toronto (1950). A few years later, the Local
represented more than 500 workers, who paid their dues to help the fledgling
organization pay the rent and hire office staff.
For many years, three of the Local’s major employers were Frid Construction, Stelco,
and Dofasco, and so many of the provisions that the Local won for its members first came into being in these workplaces.
Today, Local 837 represents 1900 workers in the construction industry. Local 837
members also work outside the construction industry, in a Burlington chicken processing
plant,in Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board schools as caretakers, and
as cleaners at Centre Mall. Many of these workers are women, although on the
construction side, only 5–7% of Local 837’s members are female.
Besides bargaining for fair wages, safety on the job, and a host of other benefits, Local
837 is also actively involved in providing its members with training opportunities.
Members are encouraged upgrade their drivers’ licences in order to make them more
flexible and available for jobs. LIUNA also provides courses in such areas as truck
licensing, cement finishing, and carpentry, to name just a few.

Permalink Reply by M.C. Warrior on February 11, 2011 at 14:21

Dear Bro. Eddie,

This is good stuff. The B.C. Local has a few construction collective agreements going back to the early 1950s and they had some miners from Mine Mill who were working on building Alcan's Kemano project in 1952. This Local 168, given its background, was full of fire breathers, and fire breathers who kept records. Unfortunately, the other locals didn't. So any work like yours which places what was going on in B.C. in context is very useful. Thanks. - Mark Warrior

Eddie Thomas said:

Back in 2008 I did extensive research and interviews for the booklet on the 100 aniversary of the Hamilton and Brantford Building Trades. I have the written transcripts of the interviews with Sam DeLuca president of the of Labor’s International union of America Local 837, from 1963 to 1993 and Manny Besto Business Agent LIUNA Local 837 from 1994. Below is an excerpt from the booklet. If you want the transcrits etc let me know by email

On April 13, 1903, in a
construction industry rife with dangerous working conditions and low wages, the
International Hod Carriers and Building Laborers Union held its founding convention.
The union later became the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). By 1907, the union represented 11,000 construction workers, many of them recent immigrants to the United States.
LIUNA Local 837 was given its first charter in Hamilton in 1953—the third Local in
Ontario, after Windsor (1949) and Toronto (1950). A few years later, the Local
represented more than 500 workers, who paid their dues to help the fledgling
organization pay the rent and hire office staff.
For many years, three of the Local’s major employers were Frid Construction, Stelco,
and Dofasco, and so many of the provisions that the Local won for its members first came into being in these workplaces.
Today, Local 837 represents 1900 workers in the construction industry. Local 837
members also work outside the construction industry, in a Burlington chicken processing
plant,in Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board schools as caretakers, and
as cleaners at Centre Mall. Many of these workers are women, although on the
construction side, only 5–7% of Local 837’s members are female.
Besides bargaining for fair wages, safety on the job, and a host of other benefits, Local
837 is also actively involved in providing its members with training opportunities.
Members are encouraged upgrade their drivers’ licences in order to make them more
flexible and available for jobs. LIUNA also provides courses in such areas as truck
licensing, cement finishing, and carpentry, to name just a few.