Union Zindabad! — South Asian Canadian Labour History in British Columbia

The BC Federation of Labour
shared a front-page image of a
local Ku Klux Klan rally in 1980.
This publication was distributed
to every union in the
province. BC Federation of Labour files.
Labour speakers at
an anti-racism rally
Pacific Tribune, January 23, 1981, 1.
Sidhu in Delta, BC was firebombed after multiple
previous attacks, which had prompted the installation
of plexiglass on the windows. Labour speakers
at an anti-racism rally organized by the East
Indian Workers Association in January 1981 came
from the United Fishermen and Allied Workers
Union, Boilermakers and Telecommunications
Workers unions.
In 1982 The BC Federation of Labour
announced the launch of a campaign against
the rising incidents of racism in BC. “We have
become increasingly alarmed at the amount of
racist reaction occurring throughout the province,”
said [BC Federation of Labour] Secretary-
Treasurer Mike Kramer.
“During the past twelve months, we have
sponsored a Conference on Racism and have
distributed thousands of leaflets exposing the
abhorrent policies and bigoted aims of the Ku
Klux Klan. We intend to tell people that racial and
cultural minorities cannot be held responsible or
made the scapegoats of inept government planning
and economic policies. 4
In light of these concerning events, it was
even more shocking when the provincial government
moved to eliminate the Human Rights
Commission in July 1983.
Solidarity Movement
In February 1983, the BC Human Rights
Commission published a report that was an
historic recognition of systemic legislative
racism in government policies. The Commission
supported the elimination of all legislation that
4 “BC Fed to Launch Anti-Racism Campaign,” British Columbia Provincial Council of Carpenters, On The Level, June 1982, 7.
Chapter 8 • New Labour Alliances | 97