SORWUC 1970s-1980s

The Service Office and Retail Workers Union of Canada was a union organized along feminist and democratic principles, with campaigns through the 1970s and 1980s. It is strength was in British Columbia although its campaigns were national. It concentrated on service sectors such as daycare workers, community centres, students societies, restaurant, and pub workers; and bank and credit union workers, the latter organized under the auspices of the United Bank Workers. Its sister union, the Association of University and College Employees organized campuses in British Columbia. SORWUC was supported by the Canadian women’s movement and was featured in feminist publications. SORWUC organized with the Indigenous workforce at the Muckamuck Restaurant in Vancouver who struck the restaurant demanding better working conditions, wages, and recognition of Indigenous food culture. This set includes union records; solidarity materials; oral histories, legal documents, news clippings regarding the Muckamuck and Biminis strikes. These are drawn from BC Labour Heritage Centre, SFU Archives, UBC Special Collections; Vancouver Women’s Caucus; and VIVO.