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Never Say Die!
Stanton, John
Publisher: Steel Rail, CanadaResource Type: Book Cx Number: CX9227 Autobiography of labour lawyer John Stanton with an account of Canadian labour history since the 1930's. Abstract: Labour lawyer John Stanton's book, his autobiography, is an account of Canadian labour history since the 1930's. He has represented the Longshoremen, Boilermakers, International Woodworkers of America, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The book is divided into three parts. Firstly cases that deal with the fight for union representation, labour battle against the courts, governments and Workers Compensation Board. The second part details the use of injunctions to break strikes. The third section is a history of the failed attempt of communists within the IAW (International Workers Association) to win Canadian autonomy for the International Woodworkers of America. He gives the reader the historical background for injunctions and how the original meaning has been distorted to allow the courts to end strikes and the repercussions to union members and their families. He also chronicles how injunctions and back to work legislation came to be standard practice in labour disputes. Instead of the State being a neutral observer in the conflict it serves the employers interest. He also discusses the concept of labour being affiliated with a particular political party. By relating the history of the labour movement in Canada he shows us that the repressive labour laws of Thatcher and Reagan are nothing new -- they have existed for many years. Subject Headings |