This Month in
Labour History

The Struggle for Maternity Protection Law

In Nov 1921 British Columbia passed Canada’s first maternity leave legislation. Women were able to take six weeks leave before and after giving birth. It was unpaid leave, but no other Canadian jurisdiction had maternity leave protection. Without legislation pregnant woman was often required to quit her job.

If governments were going to be slow to act, workers unions would have to. In 1964 maternity leave for six months without loss of seniority negotiated by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) at New Brunswick Health Centre. In 1968 CUPE presented to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women calling for women’s equality, childcare, maternity leave, and job protection.

In 1970 CUPE members at the London Library held a two-week strike. The settlement provided for maternity leave. In 1974 the Association of University and College Employees (AUCE) in its first collective agreement with UBC achieved fully funded maternity leave for their members. It was a breakthrough and was a sign of things to come. In 1979, Quebec’s labour movement brought togethers unions in government, education, and healthcare successfully negotiating 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, 10 weeks leave when parents adopted a child, and five days of paternity leave.

In 1981 a national strike by postal workers, placed maternity leave front and centre at the bargaining table. The Canadian Union of Posta Workers (CUPW) was in the lead with other unions quickly demanded expanded maternity benefits for their members. The following year, federal clerks, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), and Bell telephone workers, members of the Communications Workers of Canada (CWC), negotiated paid maternity leave. Workers were prepared to strike, and employers got the message.

It was not only at the bargaining table leave was gained unions continued to lobby governments to make changes. Adoption leave, paternity leave, and parental leave – available to either parent – were routinely negotiated and laws changed. Unions lobby governments as part of our goal to protect every worker not just our members. Because of our efforts the federal government has continually improved the maternity and parental benefits offered through the employment insurance program. Employers can no longer discriminate on the grounds of sex or pregnancy. It’s important to remember these benefits and changes in the law were not granted, they were fought for and hard won by the union members that have gone before us.

https://workershistorymuseum.ca/family-leave/

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental.html