Charles Millard - Union Activism

Union Activism

Employed by General Motors in Oshawa, Ontario, Millard was involved in the organizing auto workers in the 1930s and was elected the first president of the new United Auto Workers local 222 in Oshawa leading his union out on strike in 1937 after GM refused to recognize the union. The 18 day long strike was successful and Millard's local obtained the first contract in Canada between an automobile manufacturer and its workers. Millard was elected the first Canadian director of the United Auto Workers, was a full-time organizer for the CIO and was also elected to the provincial executive of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in Ontario. Millard was active in championing the CCF within the union against the Communist Party of Canada, and was viewed as some as a divisive force. In 1939, he was defeated in his bid for re-election as the UAW's Canadian director by George Burt who was the candidate of the "Unity Caucus" composed of Communists, left-wing CCFers and other militants who viewed Millard as right-wing. CIO president John L. Lewis appointed Millard secretary of the CIO in Canada and then as the first head of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee in Canada (SWOC) became the United Steel Workers of America in 1942 with Millard as Canadian director and was active in purging Communists from the SWOC. Millard was also an executive member of the Canadian Congress of Labour and played a role in establishing the United Packinghouse Workers in Canada.

Millard stepped down as Canadian director in 1947 but resumed the post in the 1950s.