The first Monday in September. For many of us, Labour Day is bittersweet: it often precedes our first day back on campus for the fall semester.
Labour Day is the official end of summer and is the start of buying textbooks, reconnecting with friends from school, and, of course, the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
This year, YCR would like to highlight the workers that kickstarted labour rights in Canada centuries ago. We also want to send a huge shoutout to the natural resource workers of today – across the country – that keep Canada running.
The roughnecks up in the oil sands, the utility workers at power plants and substations, the loggers hundreds of kilometres deep into Crown-leased land, and countless other workers across the energy and natural resources sectors are the reason Canada is the best country on earth.
Labour Day was declared a public holiday in Canada 131 years ago, in 1894. However, the history of the holiday goes back further (and is more interesting) than you might think.
In 1872, the Toronto Typographical Union (a union of workers in the printing industry that existed at a time when unions were still illegal in Canada) demanded better working conditions. Upon being denied, the union protested in the streets on Toronto. The protests quickly grew, and at its peak, 10,000 people (20% of the population of Toronto at the time) joined a march in protest of working conditions.
The federal government responded to these protests by passing the Trade Union Act of 1872, which recognized and gave rights to unions and, in turn, gradually improved working conditions for workers across the country. Eventually, in lockstep with the US government, the Canadian government recognized a dedicated paid day off work to celebrate workers and their advocacy efforts in 1894.
Though a public holiday wasn’t the core goal of the early labour movement, it was certainly a “win” and laid the foundation for the rights we often take for granted today. If it weren’t for them, we might still be working 12-hour days 6 days a week with no lunch breaks, vacation days, or health benefits.
Whether unionized or not and regardless of sector or industry, Labour Day is for all workers. From gig workers to stay-at-home-parents to unionized automotive welders, workers are Canada’s engine.
Though the team at YCR appreciates the hard work of all workers, we have a soft spot for those working in the energy and natural resources sectors. We want to give a special shoutout this Labour Day to those workers.
Shoutout to the workers that operate the drills and pumps that turn dinosaurs into gasoline.
And the ones that keep electricity flowing in the most brutal of winter storms.
And the ones that risk their lives at sea to harvest seafood.
And the ones that break their backs planting trees every summer from dawn to dusk.
And the ones that miss their kids’ birthdays and hockey games while working in remote mining camps for weeks at a time.
Working in the energy and natural resource sectors – especially in a manual labour capacity – is not glamourous, nor is it easy. But without the work these folks do, Canadians would soon miss the steady flow of food, power, infrastructure, and other goods and services we all too often take for granted.
This year on Labour Day, take a moment to think about the workers that’ve given you not only a long weekend but so, so much more.
Hey, why can’t Labour Day celebrate those of us trying to find a job, too?
Career in the natural resources and energy sectors can be high-paid and rewarding. If this is something you’d like to explore, YCR has you covered. Sign up to our newsletter here to receive leads for job opportunities in various sectors across all education/skill levels.
You can also check out the links below for more opportunities:
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