Our History
Welcome Labour history buffs: this is a repository for UCTE history and relevant history of our various employers. This will also be of interest to those interested in history of Canadian airports, the Canadian Coast Guard, the federal transport department, the Canadian Space Agency, and more.
Biography – William Freifeld
November 29, 2021Today we bring you the biography of William Freifeld, a former UCTE president. William Freifeld was born in 1927 and died, aged 88, on June 26, 2015. He was a Second World War veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy.Brother Freifeld...
PART 3: 1974 – All labour disputes must come to an end … so did the firefighters “study sessions”
November 22, 2021As part of UCTE’s continued exploration of its history, comes Part 3 of a 3-part story about a landmark strike Part 1: 1974 – Firefighter strike or was it a study session? PART 2: 1974 – The strike spreads… or...
PART 2: 1974 – The strike spreads… or was it still a study session?
November 15, 2021As part of UCTE’s continued exploration of its history, comes part 1 of a a3-part story about a landmark strike Part 1: 1974 – Firefighter strike or was it a study session? In 1967, after decades of lobbying and agitation...
Part 1: 1974 – Firefighter strike or was it a study session?
November 8, 2021As part of UCTE’s continued exploration of its history, comes part 1 of a 3-part story about a landmark strike.In 1967, after decades of lobbying and agitation by the staff associations, Parliament passed Bill-170, the Public Service Staff Relations Act,...
Air Traffic Control Assistants – The long struggle
October 27, 2021At midnight on Oct 26, 1973, UCTE members working at the nation’s airports as Air Traffic Control Assistants started to call in sick. The media called it the “24-hour flu.” It started in the east in Gander and Moncton and...
Women’s History month – Glenda Cushing’s story
October 6, 2021October was designated as Women’s History Month by the Government of Canada in 1992. This month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions of women throughout Canada’s history. Women’s History Month includes International Day of the Girl on...
Building a Modern Union – Part V: Unite or die!
October 4, 2021Three years after its expulsion from the Civil Service Federation (CSF), the Civil Service Association of Ottawa (CSAO) and the Amalgamated Civil Servants of Canada (ACSC) merged giving it a united voice to 25,000 members in a new organization called...
Building a Modern Union – Part IV: Building solidarity was hard work
September 27, 2021The Civil Service Federation (CSF) did not operate as a union. Its name said it all – it was a federation of associations. A key role was helping small local association come together into larger ones in an attempt to...
We will periodically add more articles from our archives to this page. If you have any suggestions or requests, please feel free to get in touch using the comment form below.
In 2023, UCTE published United in Action, an official history of the UCTE from the very beginnings of worker organizing in the federal public service.
