The Formation of the Canadian Industrial Relations System During World War Two

During the war years extensive trade union growth was accompanied by serious industrial unrest. Wage controls, inadequate labour representation on war policy making bodies, and the absence of collective bargaining legislation resulted in antagonistic labour-government relations. The government's strict enforcement of wage controls and refusal to enact legislation to handle the growing number of "recognition strikes' ' contributed to labour's growing alienation. The T.L.C. and the C.C.L., despite their organizational rivalry, united to demand new legislation modelled after the American Wagner Act. The labour movement also forged a formal relationship with the C.C.F. The federal government decided to maintain wage controls despite their unpopularity; however, the C.C.F. 's growing popularity, its electoral victories, and the success of the recently passed Ontario collective bargaining legislation, caused the government to introduce a new labour relations policy in 1944 (PC 1003). This order became the basis for a new labour relations framework which recognized the status of collective bargaining. Labour did not achieve significant representation on government policy making bodies, but it did achieve representation on the permanent tribunals which were set up to administer the labour legislation. At the local level, employees were more readily able to organize into trade unions and negotiate collective agreements. This permanently undermined traditional management prerogatives and to this extent employees achieved a new status and a degree of participation in industrial decision making.