Jack Atkinson

Jack Atkinson was born in North Umberland, England in 1905. His family moved to Nanaimo in 1909 seeking economic security. His father was a miner and trade unionist, working at various mines, moving the family as the job required. In 1924, Jack Atkinson began working as a track layer for Granby Consolidated mine, but was fired shortly after for openly criticizing the company’s reduction in workers’ wages. He worked at several mines before eventually returning to Granby in 1927. In 1936, he got a job as a mechanic’s helper in the blacksmith shop of Comox Logging in Ladysmith. He became Business Agent and organizer for Local I-80 of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) in the Ladysmith sub-local in 1947. In 1950 he became a longshorean and in 1953 a first-aid man for Empire Stevedoring. He retired in 1970 and focussed on his passion for the arts. He and his wife, Alice, continued their activities with the Ladysmith Little Theatre they helped found in 1956.

Audio Interview 1979

Description

Atkinson describes the relationship of the Ladysmith IWW Women’s Auxiliary relationship to  Local I-80; their effort to educate woodworkers’ wives to the benefits of unionism; Auxiliaries as supporters for the union;  organizing valuable social functions; some wives’ opposition to the union;  the fear of strikes and the subsequent loss of pay; equal pay posed in relation to the many nationalities working in the industry.

Transcription

Full interview: Atkinson, Jack
Excerpts by Subject: Atkinson, Jack 

Title: [Jack Atkinson – 1/w]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Atkinson, Jack

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_613_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: [Jack Atkinson – 2/2]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Atkinson, Jack

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_613_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.