Mrs. Elizabeth “Liz” Wilson was born about 1903. She worked as a waitress for a period around 1926. She came to Vancouver and worked at organized and unorganized restaurants including The Log Cabin on Hastings Street and The White Lunch. She was active in protesting the conditions in workplaces and the plight of the unemployed.
Wilson discusses the conditions and the struggle of the unemployed during the 1930’s; a meeting being broken up on the Cambie Street grounds by police on horseback with rio sticks; deportation of protesters; working for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation to build the Dorothy Steeves campaign; the militancy of Vancouver East residents fighting evictions and the assisting the less conscious West Enders; being on relief after losing her job as a waitress; reading of the Riot Act by Gerry McGeer after a demonstration at the Holden Building; Andy Rodden, minister of the First Church, preaching to the unemployed, visiting the False Creek shantytown of unemployed men, and distributing loaves of bread; the Communist Party’s role in helping the unemployed; controlling unwanted pregnancies during the Depression; harassment of welfare recipients by social workers; deserted women being forced off relief and told to collect alimony from husbands who were often non-compliant.
Full transcription: Wilson, Liz
Title: [Elizabeth Wilson – 1/4]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Wilson, Elizabeth
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1979
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Interviews
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: OBJ_676_sideA_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Elizabeth Wilson – 2/4]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Wilson, Elizabeth
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1979
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Interviews
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: OBJ_676_sideB_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Elizabeth Wilson – 3/4]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Wilson, Elizabeth
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1979
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Interviews
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: OBJ_677_sideA_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Elizabeth Wilson – 4/4]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Wilson, Elizabeth
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1979
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Interviews
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: OBJ_677_sideB_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.