Our Union

The postwar period witnessed dramatic changes in the lives ofworking-class families. Wages rose, working hours were reduced, womenand members of immigrant communities entered the labour market ingrowing numbers, and pension plans and state social security measuresoffered greater protection against unemployment, illness, and old age.Existing studies of unions in the postwar period have focused above allon national and international organizations, on the "postwarsettlement," including the impact of Fordism, and on the chieflyeconomic issues surrounding collective bargaining. Relatively scantattention has been paid to the role of the union local in dailyworking-class experience. In Our Union, Jason Russell argues that the union local, as aninstitution of working-class organization, was a key agent for theCanadian working class as it sought to create a new place for itself inthe decades following World War II. Using UAW/CAW Local 27, a compositeunion in London, Ontario, as a case study, he offers a ground-levellook at union membership, including some of the social and politicalagendas that informed union activities. Drawing on interviews withformer members of UAW/CAW Local 27 as well as on archival sources,Russell offers a narrative intended to speak not only to labourhistorians but to union members themselves.