The following is a short preview, the full comic is published in the book, Drawn to Change: Graphic Histories of Working-Class Struggle, an anthology of Canadian labour history comics edited by the Graphic History Collective and historian Paul Buhle and published by Between the Lines Press in 2016.
Thank you to the writers and artist of this wonderful comic! As a SORWUC member who
joined after the bank drive, I would suggest the ideological drive was more of the ‘anarcho-syndicalist’
flavor rather than socialist. The Sorwuc constitution stated that no staff member would
have a salary any greater than the highest wage negoiated in a Sorwuc contract–a principle
not well adhered to in most large unions where staff members make up to $20,000 more
than their members. Sorwuc was able to negotiate contract clauses supporting women’s lifestyles–on
maternity issues, servicing coffee in the office, etc. This comic captures the big picture very well
at a time when women were forming all sorts of groups–book stores, health collectives, print journals,
etc. Many thanks for carrying this history in to the 21st century! (as bank workers continue to work
unpaid overtime (etc.) and banks reap huge profits.
This is a good contribution which can be useful to broaden the number of people who are aware there ever was such a thing in Canada as a feminist union. How do you plan to distribute it — online only or in a print version? Do you have a plan to get it to high schools, for example?
I do agree with Janet Nichol’s comment that the founding members did not self-consciously see themselves as “socialist feminists”, rather that we were more influenced by syndicalism. But I don’t remember even using such labels at all — when the caucus split into 3 groups with different priorities (one group wanted to concentrate on abortion organising, for example) I just remember I agreed more with the Working Women’s Association of focussing on working class women.
MY late wife Siri Heiberg was a member of SORWUC in the ’70s when they successfully organized the bar at Jerry’s Cove in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Through Siri I met for the first time a bunch of working women, strong, feminist, and in charge. A serious education for a cowboy, and of paramount importance in my life thereafter. Now, four and half years after Siri’s death, I’m in a relationship with another original SORWUC person, Jean Burgess from Spences Bridge. And the learning continues.
Thank you all for this wonderful graphic history. And thanks to all the women in SORWUC who did make change in the world, not just temporary shifts, but permanent changes in attitudes, mine and many others.