The Jewish community has been a big part of Canadian labour history, and has played a vital role in the fight for social justice and the defense workers’ rights. Incidents of antisemitism and hate are on the rise, and Canada’s unions remain resolute in fighting antisemitism, hate and discrimination.
“Jewish labour community activists recognized early on the interconnected nature of all struggles against discrimination, and the importance of coming together across communities to fight alongside one another to confront it. We must all follow this model as we continue to push back against the rising tide of antisemitism in Canada,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “We stand in solidarity and support of Jewish workers and community members.”
In 1936, the Canadian arm of the Jewish Labour Committee (JLC) was founded, modelled on the American Jewish Labour Committee. The JLC represented trade unions with a significant Jewish membership, which included the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union, the United Cap, Hat and Millinery Workers’ Union and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union.
The primary focus of Jewish community activists in Canada in the 1940s was aiding Holocaust survivors who had immigrated to Canada, and advocating for the admission of Jewish refugees arriving to Canada from Europe. In subsequent years, activists turned their efforts toward tackling systemic antisemitism in Canada as a whole, including in the workplace and the labour movement. In Canada at the time, Jewish people were shut out of many universities, places of employment and other institutions, including professional associations and banks.
In 1947, as part of the Committee’s efforts to address this discrimination, JLC National Director, Kalmen Kaplansky successfully lobbied to introduce an anti-discrimination motion at the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL). The motion, which passed, called for strong action in “the fight for full equality for all peoples, regardless of race, colour, creed, or national origin.” The following year, as the JLC began to broaden the scope of its work, viewing the struggle against antisemitism as being connected to the larger struggle against hate and prejudice, Kaplansky established a permanent committee on racial tolerance.
In the 1950s, Jewish activists were part of the fight against anti-Black racism and discrimination in Dresden, Ontario, where many restaurants and businesses excluded Black residents from service. The Toronto Civil Liberties Association led a coalition of 35 human rights advocacy organizations, women’s groups, trade unions, and ethno-cultural groups, which included the Canadian Jewish Congress, in a fight to demand a non-discrimination requirement for local businesses applying for a license.
This Jewish Heritage Month, take some time to learn more about the history and work of the Jewish Labour Committee – click here.
Jumuiya ya Kiyahudi imekuwa sehemu kubwa ya historia ya kazi ya Canada, na imecheza jukumu muhimu katika mapambano ya haki ya kijamii na haki za wafanyakazi wa ulinzi. Matukio ya chuki dhidi ya Wayahudi yanaongezeka, na vyama vya wafanyakazi wa Canada vinabaki imara katika kupambana na chuki dhidi ya Wayahudi, chuki na ubaguzi. <unk>Washiriki wa jamii ya wafanyakazi wa Kiyahudi walitambua mapema asili ya kuunganishwa kwa mapambano yote dhidi ya ubaguzi, na umuhimu wa kuungana pamoja katika jamii zote kupigana pamoja ili kukabiliana nayo. "Tunapaswa kufuata mfano huu wakati tunaendelea kukabiliana na kuongezeka kwa antisemitism nchini Canada, ""alisema Bea Bruske, Rais wa Bunge la Kazi la Canada." "Kama ""mshirika wa kuunga mkono wafanyakazi wa Kiyahudi na wanachama wa jamii,"" shirika la Canada la Kamati ya Kazi ya Kiyahudi (JLC) lilianzishwa mnamo 1936 kwa mfano wa Kamati ya Kazi ya Kiyahudi ya Marekani." JLC iliwakilisha vyama vya wafanyakazi na uanachama mkubwa wa Kiyahudi, ambayo ilijumuisha Umoja wa Wafanyakazi wa Mavazi ya Amalgamated, Umoja wa Wafanyakazi wa Kofia, Kofia na Millinery na Umoja wa Wafanyakazi wa Mavazi ya Wanawake wa Kimataifa. Katika miaka ya 1940 na 1960, wakazi wa Canada walifanya kazi kwa bidii kuwahudumia waokokaji wa Holocaust na kuwakaribisha wakimbizi wa Kiyahudi kutoka Ulaya. Katika miaka iliyofuata, wanaharakati waligeuza juhudi zao kuelekea kukabiliana na antisemitism ya mfumo nchini Canada kwa ujumla, ikiwa ni pamoja na mahali pa kazi na harakati ya wafanyakazi. Katika Canada wakati huo, Wayahudi walikataliwa kuingia katika vyuo vikuu vingi, mahali pa kazi, na taasisi nyinginezo, kutia ndani vyama vya kitaalamu na benki. Mwaka 1947, kama sehemu ya juhudi za Kamati ya kushughulikia ubaguzi huu, Mkurugenzi wa Taifa wa JLC, Kalman Kaplansky, alifanikiwa kushawishi kuanzisha pendekezo la kupambana na ubaguzi katika Bunge la Kazi la Canada. "Kama ilivyopendekezwa na sheria hiyo, ""Kupigania usawa kamili kwa watu wote, bila kujali jamii, rangi, imani, au asili ya kitaifa"" ilihitajika, na mwaka uliofuata, kama JLC ilianza kupanua wigo wa kazi yake, ikiona mapambano dhidi ya antisemitism kama kushikamana na mapambano makubwa dhidi ya chuki na ubaguzi, Kaplansky alianzisha kamati ya kudumu juu ya uvumilivu wa rangi." Katika miaka ya 1950, wanaharakati wa Kiyahudi walikuwa sehemu ya mapambano dhidi ya ubaguzi wa rangi na ubaguzi wa rangi katika Dresden, Ontario, ambapo mikahawa na biashara nyingi zilikuwa zimewatenga wakazi weusi kutoka kwa huduma. Shirika la Toronto Civil Liberties Association (TCA) liliongoza muungano wa mashirika 35 ya kutetea haki za binadamu, vikundi vya wanawake, vyama vya wafanyakazi, na vikundi vya kikabila na kitamaduni, ambavyo vilitia ndani Bunge la Kiyahudi la Canada, katika mapambano ya kudai mahitaji ya kutobaguliwa kwa biashara za ndani zinazotafuta leseni. Katika mwezi huu wa urithi wa Kiyahudi, chukua muda kujifunza zaidi juu ya historia na kazi ya Kamati ya Kazi ya Kiyahudi <unk> bonyeza hapa.