Bienfait : The Saskatchewan Miners' Struggle of '31 / Stephen Endicott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Endicott, Stephen Lyon, 1928-2019, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Coal Miners' Strike, Estevan, Sask., 1931.

Grève des mineurs de charbon, Estevan, Sask., 1931.

Saskatchewan--Estevan.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (241 p.)

Place of Publication:

Toronto : University of Toronto Press, [2018]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Against all odds, the miners of Bienfait, Saskatchewan, attempted, in 1931, to change their miserable situation by organizing a union. Exploring the social consequences of capitalist restructuring during the Great Depression, Stephen Endicott focuses on the miners' tumultuous thirty-day strike. Their bid to gain union recognition with the aid of the Workers' Unity League of Canada ultimately failed, and Endicott's in-depth examination of the key factors and players attempts to explain why this was the case and why a similar union drive a decade later succeeded." "Based on a large number of both oral and written primary resources, Bienfait offers a new interpretation of the role of corporations, governments, courts, and the police in the events surrounding the strike. In the process, Endicott demonstrates how a militant union leadership helped the workers gain the strength and unity of purpose to challenge the powers of wealth and deep-seated prejudice. Bienfait opens a new chapter in the history of Canadian labour relations that reveals much about Canadian and Canadian society during the Depression."--Jacket.

Contents:

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 The Bienfait Coalfields

2 John Billis and Family

3 Boruk's Boarding House

4 August: Gaining Momentum

5 September: On Strike

6 Strikers versus the Strip Mine

7 The Parade

8 Sticking with the Union

9 The Trials

10 Spreading of Seeds

Appendix I. Changing Organization of Capital in the Bienfait/Estevan Coalfields

Appendix 2. Proposed Contract, Estevan District

Appendix 3. History of Union Organization in Bienfait/Estevan Coalfields

Notes

Annotated Bibliography

Illustration CreditsIndex

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Illustrations

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Nov 2018)

ISBN:

1-4426-7023-1

OCLC:

431553684