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The Local Labour Council Throughout The Years

The hearings began before Mr. Justice G. A. Gale of the Supreme Court of Ontario. Initially slated for Osgoode Hall they were transferred to City Hall because of the large crowds.

The hearings were held in Toronto rather than Peterborough because the application for the contempt citation was made in weekly court, a division of the Supreme Court of Ontario. No weekly court is held in Peterborough.

The majority of those appearing in the contempt charges were represented by E. D. Jolliffe, however lawyer L. A. Scott represented T.W.U.A. Representatives Skurjat and Clarke.

The Labour Council paid $584.50 daily to meet the expenses and wages of the twenty-four trade unionists who were subpoenaed with respect to the mass demonstration at Tilco Plastics on February 23rd and February 24th, 1966.

It was pointed out during the trials by the prosecutors and defence alike that there had been no violence, that the demonstration had been one of the most orderly witnessed by police, that there had been provocation and that all of the people involved were of good character. However, be that as it may, they were found guilty. Appeals through the courts were disallowed and the defenders went to jail.

The case against Daniel Dean, Representative of the International Association of Machinists, was withdrawn but appeals on medical grounds of two of the defendants were disallowed on the basis that treatment would be available in jail.

William Mulders, Stanley Rouse and George Rutherford, Executive Officers of the Peterborough and District Labour Council, "Bud" Clarke and Victor Skurjat, Representatives of the Textile Workers Union of America were imprisoned for two months.

Merton Pearse, William Staunton, Victor Doughty, Bruce Castle, Michael Gahagan, Clarence Wilson, Allen Rise, James Welch, Jack Urquart, Carl Ainsworth, Robert Sarginson, Carl Jensen, John Pacey, Robert Beaubiah, Edward Shore, William Woodbeck, Representative of United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, and John McGlennon were sentenced to fifteen days in jail in Peterborough.

Roderick Maloney and Robert Kelly were denied special consideration on medical grounds. Harry Woodbeck was given a suspended sentence on medical grounds and Lockie Longhurst was denied special consideration and castigated because he was a volunteer Fire Chief.

One dull, gray morning much later when all of the appeal procedure had been exhausted, the time came for the "Demonstrators" to go to jail. They did so as true soldiers in the cause of worker freedom. They assembled at the Labour Centre and marched to jail led by a piper and at their head none other than David Archer, the President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, and his wife. They were also accompanied by many trade union friends and associates.

The Peterborough and District Labour Council took a leading part in focussing the attention of the general public and members of all political parties in government on the injustice of the ex parte injunction in labour disputes. It must also be said that support was given as required by the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress.

A great deal of credit should reflect on the Labour Council for the presentation of a most able brief to the Rand Commission on the use of injunctions in labour disputes. Organized labour, to say the least, was far from happy with the report but it must be said that there is now a great deal less use of injunctions in labour disputes.

There are many other milestones in the history of the Peterborough Labour Council and as was indicated at the start of this epistle we have not tried to touch them all. However we cannot close this journey through the years without mention of the most recent one, the unification of organized labour in Peterborough.

The United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, Local 524, being the largest union of any group in Peterborough, affiliated to the Labour Council after an absence of twenty-three years. The United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America again became an affiliate of the Canadian Labour Congress and thus gave the local unions in Peterborough the opportunity to participate in the affairs of the "Voice of Labour" in this area. Organized workers in Peterborough have been working to this end with a unity of purpose and dedication that might well be emulated in other centres. We are looking forward with anticipation and enthusiasm towards the future now that we are united again.

In closing this narrative I would like to bring back to fond and reverent memory for a moment at least some of those who in our memory have served us so well. I bring back to your remembrance the names of Bill Triggs, Gus Siegal, Merv Williamson, George Degan, Lorne Bebee, Dick Martin, Bud Bannon and Tommy Cupoli.

In closing I would also like to pay tribute to several people who have served the Peterborough and District Labour Council well and are still among us. I would like to mention Peter McCombe, Peterborough's only "Labour" Citizen of the year; Ed Humphries, our ever doughty warrior for labour cause; Ed Silvester, Alf Barber, founder of the Peterborough and District Labour Council, C.C.L., and for some years President of both C.C.L. and C.L.C. Councils; John McPhee, who served as an officer of both the Peterborough Trades and Labour Council and the Peterborough and District Labour Council, C.L.C. Mr. McPhee was also the writer of "The Labour Beat" which formerly ran in the Peterborough Examiner and received much commendation from labour groups and others alike for good objective labour reporting.

The old objectives that have been expressed from time to time in the preambles to the constitutions of the various central labour bodies that have been formed in Peterborough still endure and organized labour in Peterborough will go forward with the community still dedicated to the aim of serving all citizens whether they be members of the organized labour movement or not.