Historical Development of Labour Unions By lameira 1872 The fight for a shorter work-week 1872 The Toronto Typographical Union strike and the Trade Unions Act 1872 Nine-Hour Movement in Ontario and Montreal 1873 Canadian Labor Union Formed 1883 Trades and Labor Congress of Canada succeeded the Canadian Labor Union 1889 Royal Commission on the Relations of Labour and Capital 1894 Labor Day National Holiday 1900 Federal Department of Labour established 1905 The Industrial Workers of the World Founded Chicago 1907 The Industrial Disputes Investigation Act 1909 The Fort William freight handlers strike 1914 Workmen's Compensation Act, Ontario 1919 The Winnipeg general strike 1919 One Big Union was founded in Calgary 1920 Cape Breton Strikes Period: 1929 to 1936 Communist-Supported Workers Unity League 1935 On to Ottawa Trek Protest 1937 The Oshawa Strike 1940 The Birth of Unemployment Insurance 1940 Canadian Congress of Labour was formed 1941 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Strike 1944 Wartime labour relations regulations, Order-in-Council P.C. 1003 1945 Windsor’s Ford strike 1948 Industrial Relations and Disputes Investigation Act 1949 Union membership exceeded one million workers 1956 Founding of the Canadian Labour Congress 1959 Newfoundland Loggers' Strike Period: 1960 to 1969 The right to safety at work 1965 Public service workers win bargaining rights 1967 Federal Public Service Staff Relations Act Period: 1971 to 1981 Maternity & parental benefits 1972 Common Front, Quebec 1972 Occupational Health Act, Saskatchewan 1975 Confederation of Canadian Unions 1976 Day of Protest 1982 Canadian Federation of Labour 2007 Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on Bill 29