The IRHR Library holds an extensive range of archival materials documenting unions, unionization, labour organizing, and industrial relations in Canada. These collections include clippings, constitutions, correspondence, collective agreements, and publications from nearly all Canadian unions, as well as selected international unions—especially those with Canadian branches. Additional archival sets focus on labour organizing and union activity within specific employment sectors. These materials are particularly strong for the period from 1960 to 1989.

The Library also preserves the institutional archives of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, documenting more than sixty years of the Centre’s history, including events, teaching materials, faculty research, and collaborative projects, as well as a limited number of private fonds from those working, and researching in the field.

Many of our archival holdings are not yet fully processed. Researchers are encouraged to contact us at cirhr.library@utoronto.ca to inquire about access or materials or book a research consult with us to discuss specific topics.

Processed Personal/Corporate Finding Aids:

Lancaster House Conference: Developed in partnership with the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto, the Lancaster House Conference Publications captures nearly two decades of influential professional dialogue in Canadian labour, employment, and human rights law. Documenting annual and special‑topic conferences held between 2000 and 2019, the collection brings together program agendas, legal overviews, case law analyses, legislation, policies, and expert commentary from leading arbitrators, academics, and legal practitioners. The fonds reflects a sustained professional and academic collaboration that shaped legal education, policy discussion, and workplace practice across Canada. Preserved in both print and digital formats, the collection offers a rich resource for researchers exploring the evolution of labour relations and human rights law.
Jane Irene Armstrong Fonds: The fonds consists primarily of textual records created by or associated with the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Canadian Auto Workers Union, and the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude. The materials also include photographic records (both physical and digital), moving image files, and a map. The records document international labour movement efforts to eliminate child labour, with particular emphasis on advocacy and international solidarity initiatives related to the Bal Ashram Trust in India. Materials reflect organizational communications, campaign activities, and collaborative work between Canadian labour organizations and international partners engaged in combating child labour.

Processed Union Finding Aids :

(please note: additional unprocessed material may exist in our collections for these unions)

Air Canada Pilots: This collection contains material relating to ACPA’s administration and activities, specifically a copy of ACPA’s 1997 constitution and photocopied clippings on ACPA’s first two agreements with Air Canada.
Aluminum, Brick & Glass Workers International Union (ABG): This collection contains material published by ABG or circulated to ABG members, including clippings from ABG Light, ABG’s in-house publication for ABG members, and a letter to ABG members from the USWA. The clippings from ABG Light include both original and photocopied sections from the publication, including an editorial, an opinion piece, and the entire ABG Light September- December 1996 issue.
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America: This collection contains material relating to ACWA’s administration and its activities throughout the union’s 52-year operation. The collection includes multiple constitutions as well as papers, articles, and booklets on the history of the organization written and printed by and for its members. The collection also includes numerous photocopies of newspaper clippings and serial articles on ACWA’s strikes, negotiations, and settlements in both Canada and the United States, the Farah strike, and ACWA’s merger with TWUA, as well as other information on their operations and history. The collection contains materials from throughout the majority of their operation, however, aside from a section of proceedings from Documentary History of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America 1916-1918 printed in 1918, an article on the history of the Ladies Progressive Tailors Union originally printed in the 1930s, and a couple of constitutions printed in 1940 and 1950, the majority of the records in this collection were printed between 1966 and 1976.
Amalgamated Clothing and Textiles Workers Union: This collection contains material relating to the union’s administration and activities, including copies of their constitution, documents from select ACTWU Canadian Conferences, and publications relating to ACTWU and their members. Additionally, there are numerous news and magazine clippings, both original and photocopies, that pertain to ACTWU’s boycotts, negotiations, settlements, mergers, and workers’ rights and benefits, as well as their involvement and stance on the Canadian Government’s policies on trade and tariffs.
Association of Allied Health Professionals of Ontario: This collection contains material relating to the union’s administration and activities, including correspondence with former IRHR Head Librarian Elizabeth Perry, AAHP:O promotional material and brochures, photocopied and original news and article clippings from newspapers and serials, and copies of two arbitration briefs.
Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA): This collection contains material relating to ACTRA’s activities between 1965 and 1982 during the union’s time as the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists. The first series in the collection contains material issued by ACTRA itself, including booklets of their constitutions and bylaws, clippings from the ACTRAscope periodical, both original and photocopies, and ACTRA press releases. The second series contains news clippings, both original and photocopies, mainly on ACTRA’s fight for more opportunities for their members, including the ability to veto the use of foreign workers in major roles in Canadian film, television, and radio productions by CBC, CTV, and other independent and foreign producers.
Association of Commercial and Technical Employees (ACTE): The collection contains materials relating to ACTE’s administration and organization efforts between the beginning of ACTE’s campaign in 1973 and 1979. The collection is divided into two series, the first pertaining to ACTE’s administration and corresponding activities, and the second focusing on external publications. Series 1 includes ACTE correspondence with former IRHR Head Librarian Elizabeth Perry, a collective agreement for one of ACTE’s units, press releases, and various promotional materials. Divided into two sub-series, Series 2 contains a Case Study with related materials on ACTE’s attempt at organizing within USF&G as well as news clippings, arranged by year, on ACTE itself and its successes and failures in organizing white collar workers, as originals or photocopies.
Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPECO): This collection contains material relating to AMAPCEO’s administration, including a copy of the union’s 1996 Constitution and photocopied news clippings on AMAPCEO winning bargaining rights and the union’s first bargaining contract with the Ontario Government.
Association of Radio and Television Employees of Canada (ARTEC): This collection contains material relating to ARTEC’s union operations between 1966 and 1971 including press releases, photocopies of newspaper clippings on ARTEC’s strikes against, negotiations and settlements with CBC, photocopies of newspaper clippings on votes for affiliation and merger with CUPE, and miscellaneous ARTEC booklets for ARTEC Stewards and union members within CBC.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLFE): This collection contains materials relating to the BLFE’s response to the diesel firemen issue in both Canada and the U.S. The collection consists of external publications, from The Financial Times and from the Labour Law Journal, summarizing the Canadian and American Commissions that investigated the diesel firemen issue, as well as photocopied news clippings from both Canadian and American newspapers discussing the strikes, disputes, and negotiations between the BLFE and railroad carries in both countries.
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes: This collection contains material relating to the BWME’s activities including copies of press releases, photocopies of news clippings on the BWME’s Canadian division, and multiple publications by the BWME on their history, the waste disposal issue in the greater Toronto area, and other promotional material. The publications on BWME’s history include a photocopy of entirety of Pictorial History: Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes 1887-1951, as well as a photocopy of select pages from History of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes: Its Birth and Growth 1887-1955 by D. W. Hertel.
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen: This collection contains printed material on the BLT and its administration, history, benefits for members, and legal activities. This material includes copies of information manuals and booklets printed for BLT members, a copy of a submission of inquiry pursuant to the Industrial Relations and Disputes Investigation Act, a booklet and a photocopied article on the history of the BLT, and photocopied news clippings on their pursuit for higher wages and right to strike.
Brotherhood of Railway Carmen: This collection contains material relating to the history of the BRC as well as its organization and operation in Canada. The material includes a booklet on the Historical Record of the BRC and a corresponding letter to Dr. Harold Amos Logan, along with photocopies of news clippings on the BRC’s activities in Canada including separating from the US-based organization and their merger into the CAW.
Brotherhood of Railway, Airline, and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees (BRAC/BRASC): This collection contains material relating to BRAC’s operation and organizational efforts in both the United States and Canada. The collection is divided into two series, the first pertaining to communications and publishing done by BRAC itself or concerning BRAC’s strikes, and the second containing news clippings on the union and its activities.
Canadian Air Line Flight Attendants Association (CALFAA): This collection contains materials relating to CALFAA’s organizing and bargaining efforts. The collection is divided into two series, the first pertaining to documents published by CALFAA or on behalf of CALFAA, and the second containing news clippings on the Association’s activities.
Canadian Association of Industrial, Mechanical and Allied Workers: This collection contains various publications pertaining to CAIMAW’s activities from 1973 to 1991, primarily in B.C. In addition to original constitutions and a publication from the union’s 1977 National Convention, the collection also contains photocopies of documents related to CAIMAW’s certifications and mergers. Also includes one photocopied article about strikes organized by CAIMAW at Gibraltar and Endako mines in 1978-1979.
International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (IUE): This collection material documenting the IUE’s activities in Canada and the US from 1965 to 2000. The first series includes IUE publications from the 1970s, including a near-complete run of The IUE News from 1972 to 1974 and booklets about IUE programs and training. The second series includes original and photocopied news clippings and serial articles reporting on IUE strikes, negotiations, organizing, and other union activities. The materials highlight important union initiatives, such as the IUE’s pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against GE, bargaining, settlements, and strikes at GE and Westinghouse, and strikes at Proctor-Silex, Phillips Cables, and Automatic Electric plants in Ontario. The bulk of the collection spans from 1965 to 1982, except for a journal article from 1996 and a news article from October 2000.

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