IATSE 3rd 2019_web

eing cleaned. It became habit to allow
women to convalesce at home, only to be
returned to prison upon improvement.
At best count, over 1,000 women were
jailed in Britain alone. Emily Davidson
would be one of the more tragic figures
of the British movement; detained nine
times, on hunger strike seven times, and
force fed on forty-nine occasions. Her
demise came at the Epsom Derby. Attempting
to pin a sign on the horse of
King George V, she was trampled and
died from her injuries days later. The
event was oddly captured on film.
In Canada, suffragists employed
“mock parliaments” – a form of political
theatre - to raise money and sympathy
for the movement. Held across the country
from 1893, the greatest impact by far
was on the night of January 28, 1914 at
the 1,800-seat Walker Theatre in Winnipeg,
Manitoba. The Suffragists, rebuffed
the previous day by the Manitoba Legislature,
presented to a sold-out crowd
“The Women’s Parliament”, mocking
men seeking franchise. Hosted by Nellie
McClung, it was a grand send up of then
Conservative Premier Rodman Roblin.
Two years later, his government would
topple, and Manitoba women were
awarded the vote!
Suffrage in the Americas had its roots
in the abolitionist movement, and prior
to being stripped of the vote, indigenous
culture lead the way. Participation in the
suffrage movement under the puritan
backdrop of the Victorian era brought its
consequences. It was not unheard of for
marriages to breakdown. Women would
be jailed for their activities, and jail terms
were unusually long. They would lose
their jobs if they had jobs. Men would
be humiliated for living with a “jail bird”.
Women were demonized, disowned by
parents and relatives, and separated from
their children. In the coming months
and years, as elections spring up around
us, think about the commitment these
women exhibited at the risk of losing everything,
including their lives.
The path to Suffrage was fraught
with so much suffering. And still, they
persisted! The least we can do is exercise
our right to vote.
IATSE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE WELCOMES
ADDITIONS TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
During the General Executive Board meeting in Montreal,
Quebec, the Women’s Committee announced new appointments
to its Executive Committee. We’re pleased that Siobhan Vipond,
Canadian Labour Congress Delegate, and Stasia Savage,
International Representative, have joined Vice Presidents Colleen
Glynn and Joanne Sanders in rounding out the Committee.
While in Montreal, the Committee hosted its semi-annual
networking event at L’Auberge St. Gabriel. More than eightyfive
women joined together for an evening of networking and
camaraderie. The guest speaker was one of the founders of
Madame Prend Conge, the chosen non-profit. The organization
operates a women’s center in Montreal which advocates for
women’s equality, improving women’s living conditions, and
fighting against poverty and violence against women. Over
$3,500 was raised on behalf of the group. L’Auberge St. Gabriel
joined the giving spirit by donating the leftover food to the shelter.
The restaurant has pledged to continue the practice of sharing
food with the Women’s Center over the long term.
IATSE WOMEN’S CONNECTION
THIRD QUARTER 2019 45