'Rewarding Your Enemies, Punishing Your Friends': The Labour College Strike of 1983

Introduced by Don Wells, the article discusses the unionization and "strike" (in reality, a boycott) of teachers at the Canadian Labour Congress's Canadian Labour College in 1983. Examines the dichotomy of militant trade unionists who become labour bureaucrats, the clash between academics and the CLC, and the pivotal role of students (who were also trade unionists) that mobilized to join the teachers' side in the dispute. Media coverage and the reaction of unions are also discussed. Concludes that the right to organize was the central issue of the conflict, and that, going forward, the college will continue to embody the best and the worst features of Canadian trade unionism. The article was authored by the union's chief negotiator for its first collective agreement.