Lesson 2

 | Every Day is Labour Day!

36

Learning from Labour | 

Intermediate ETFO Resource

 | 

www.etfo.ca

Every Day is Labour Day! Worksheet

Labour is word that has many meanings. Labour Day is a statutory holiday which many people may enjoy. A goal of our 
education is to prepare us for labouring. Organized Labour has shaped the society in which we live. This lesson brings out 
perceptions and prompts questions about events and developments that we often take for granted, such as Labour Day and the 
Labour Movement, Labour Standards and the general role of organized labour. Let’s see you make connections between the 
three!

The Origins of Labour Day and 
the Labour Movement

Employment Standards and 
Health and Safety Regulations 
Today: Ontario Ministry of 
Labour 

The Role of Organized Labour

Prior Knowledge

How do you generally spend Labour Day? 
What do you specifically know about why 
we celebrate Labour Day? What do you 
know about the labour movement?

Prior Knowledge

What do you know about minimum 
Employment Standards and Health and 
Safety regulations in Ontario today? 

(If you got a part-time job tomorrow, what 
would you need to know? What are the 
minimum employment and health and 
safety standards your parents work under 
and are protected by?)

Prior Knowledge

What actions do you think people took 
individually and collectively to achieve the 
Labour Standards we have today? How do 
you think Labour Standards have evolved 
over time? Where can you see evidence of 
this evolution?

Choose One Source

Dawson, J. (2015) The First Labour Day. 
Retrieved June 21, 2015 from http://www.
canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-
Exclusive/Articles/The-First-Labour-Day

Frank, D. (2014, August 30). Frank: Labour 
day belongs to us all. Retrieved May 29, 
2015 from http://ottawacitizen.com/news/
national/frank-labour-day-belongs-to-us-
all

Frank, D., T. McCallum, B. D. Palmer, J. 
Rouillard (last edited 03/04/15) Working 
Class History. Retrieved July 12, 2015 from 
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/
en/article/working-class-history/

Civilization.ca. Canadian labour history, 
1850-1999. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2015 
from http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/
exhibitions/hist/labour/lab01e.shtml

Marsh, J. A. (2015, April 3). Origins of 
Labour Day. Retrieved, July 1, 2015, from 
http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/
article/origins-of-labour-day-feature/

Choose One Source

Ontario Ministry of Labour. Employment 
Standards. http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/
english/es/pdf/poster.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Labour. Health and 
Safety Standards. http://www.labour.gov.
on.ca/english/hs/pdf/poster_prevention.
pdf

Choose One Source

Huang, J. (2013, October 10) How have 
unions helped us? Retrieved June 21, 2015 
from https://prezi.com/t1ktce8ct3dc/how-
have-unions-helped-us/

Toronto and York Region Labour 
Council. About Unions. Retrieved June 
12, 2015 . http://www.labourcouncil.ca/
uploads/8/8/6/1/8861416/about_unions.
pdf

Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights. 
Unions have always been a positive force in 
society. Retrieved July 2, 2012. http://www.
labourrights.ca/research-publications/
unions-have-always-been-positive-force-
society