Ep 26: Lenkurt Electric - Turning the Tide

A 1966 wildcat strike* by 400 mostly women members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) at Lenkurt Electric in Burnaby, BC was a turning point for the province's labour movement. This was a time when courts and police routinely jailed and fined union members during labour disputes, and Canadian members of international unions were demanding more autonomy.

The story of the Lenkurt Electric strike is described by Ian McDonald, whose book "The Red Baron of IBEW Local 213: Les McDonald, Union Politics, and the 1966 Wildcat Strike at Lenkurt Electric" will be published in 2024.

As a bonus, Bill Hood and The Gram Partisans debut their original song "Lenkurt Electric: Turning the Tide".

*wildcat strike: A wildcat strike is a strike that is started by a group of workers without the approval of their union.

Music:

Theme song: "Hold the Fort” (traditional) - Arranged & Performed by Tom Hawken & his band, 1992.

Episode song: "Lenkurt Electric: Turning the Tide", written and performed by Bill Hood and the Gram Partisans, 2024.

Sources:

McDonald, Ian. Interview by Patricia Wejr, March 2024.

Succamore, Jess. Interview by Sean Griffin and Ian McDonald, 24 February 2018. https://www.labourheritagecentre.ca/oral-history/jess-succamore/

McDonald, Ian. Red Baron of IBEW Local 213: Les McDonald, union politics, and the 1966 wildcat strike at Lenkurt Electric. AU PRESS, 2024. 

• Follow us https://www.facebook.com/LabourHistoryInBC/
• Browse https://www.labourheritagecentre.ca/
• Find us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/bclhc.bsky.social
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bc_lhc/
• Send your feedback [e-mail]
• Thanks for listening!