Labour / Le Travail
Issue 88 (2021)
Minutes / Procès-verbal
Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Committee on Labour History
9 June 2021
Convened virtually from various locations across Turtle Island
The meeting was called to order at 1:02 pm Eastern Time with cclh
Attendees: Rhonda Hinther, Kassandra Luciuk (Member at Large), Mikhail Bjorge (Second Vice President), Linda Kealey, Greg Kealey (Treasurer), Jeff Taylor, Joan Sangster, Alvin Finkel, Kathy Killoh, Jim Naylor, Julia Smith, Betsy Jameson, Eric Tucker, Jason Russell, Ben Isitt (Secretary), Charles Smith, David Camfield, Myron Momryk, Kirk Niergarth (President).
Regrets: Bryan Palmer
1. Approval of agenda
It was moved by Greg Kealey, seconded by Julia Smith, that the agenda be adopted as presented.
Carried unanimously.
2. Approval of minutes of 2020 annual general meeting
It was moved by Alvin Finkel, seconded by Kassandra Luciuk, that the minutes of the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the cclh be adopted.
Carried unanimously.
3. business arising from the minutes of the 2020 annual general meeting
The President, Kirk Niergarth, provided an update on several items arising from the minutes of the previous year’s Annual General Meeting, including the Graduate Student Thesis Research Award. The President indicated that the award would be launched on the new cclh website in the months ahead.
4. President’s report
The President, Kirk Niergarth, provided a report to members in attendance, including information on the launch of cclh’s new website. Features of the website include payment processing options, ordering cclh books, and capability to circulate materials relating to cclh prizes to jury members.
The President suggested that other cclh communications, such as the listserv, be migrated to the cclh website platform.
The President commented on cclh Prizes, indicating that eight nominations were received for the cclh Article Prize, as well as several strong nominations for the Forsey graduate prize, and indicated that the prize winners would be announced by the cha on June 14, 2021.
The President thanked members who had participated on the jury committees for the various prizes.
It was moved by Ben Isitt, seconded by Jim Naylor, that the President’s Report be accepted and that the cclh express appreciation to Kirk Niergarth for effectively implementing the cclh website project.
Carried unanimously.
5. Treasurer’s report
The Treasurer, Greg Kealey, provided a report on cclh finances. He expressed appreciation to au Press for their support for cclh, and appreciation to the secretary, Ben Isitt, for preparing the cclh’s application to the Canada Revenue Agency for charitable status.
Regarding the Statement of Financial Position, the Treasurer reported that the cclh augmented its financial reserves by approximately $30,000 in the last fiscal year, creating opportunities to undertake initiatives including the upcoming cclh conference.
Regarding the Statement of Operations, the Treasurer anticipated that revenue from digital content was anticipated to decline in the next fiscal year, due to changes in the revenue calculation formula from Project Muse. The Treasurer also reported that expenses had declined in the last fiscal year, partly due to circumstances associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regarding Labour / Le Travail subscription revenue, the Treasurer reported that subscriptions had fluctuated over the past several years, from a high of 644 subscriptions six years ago to a low of 486 subscriptions in 2020, to a current level of 515 subscriptions.
Julia Smith inquired about the possibility of implementing auto-renewal of subscriptions for Labour/Le Travail, to remove the requirement to confirm each subscription on an annual basis, and to increase subscriptions.
Kirk Niergarth advised members on the current procedure from au Press for Labour / Le Travail subscription renewals.
Kathy Killoh discussed the arrangement between au Press and the Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies (cawls) for the bulk subscription of cawls members to the journal.
Greg Kealey discussed the relationship between subscriptions to the journal and membership in cclh.
The President, Kirk Niergarth, indicated that the cclh executive could work with the editors of Labour / Le Travail and au Press to explore options for establishing ongoing or multi-year subscriptions to the journal.
It was moved by Kirk Niergarth, seconded by Jeff Taylor, that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted and that members express the cclh’s appreciation to Greg Kealey for his ongoing work supporting the cclh and stewarding its finances.
Carried unanimously.
6. Labour / Le Travail report
The Co-Editor of Labour / Le Travail, Joan Sangster, reported on submissions to the journal. Submissions were down to some extent over the past year, with the volume of historical submissions lower than submissions in the field of labour studies, perhaps related to limited research opportunities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Co-Editor encouraged all cclh members to assist in reviewing and submitting manuscripts for publication in the journal.
Joan Sangster also reported on upcoming special issues of the journal, including an issue devoted to Leo Panitch’s scholarly contribution and an issue relating to the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. The Co-Editor also advised members that an application for sshrc funding would be prepared in the months ahead.
Joan Sangster advised members of a short delay in production of the Spring 2021 issue of the journal due to a problem at the printers. Finally, Joan Sangster noted the establishment of a Canadian Association of Work and Labour Studies (cawls) article prize drawn from articles published in Labour / Le Travail.
The Co-Editor, Charles Smith, then announced that his Co-Editor, Joan Sangster, would be stepping away as Co-Editor of the journal over the next year and that a search was underway by the Editorial Board for a new Co-Editor.
Charles Smith also encouraged members to submit French-language manuscripts for publication in the journal.
The President, Kirk Niergarth, expressed appreciation to the editors of the journal for their contributions.
Kathy Killoh provided an update on the Spring 2021 issue of the journal, which has now been printed and will be mailed to subscribers this month.
It was moved by Kirk Niergarth, seconded by Greg Kealey, that the Editors’ Report be approved and that the cclh express appreciation to Joan Sangster and Charles Smith for their contributions to Labour / Le Travail and to the cclh.
Carried unanimously.
7. 2022 conference
The President Kirk Niergarth discussed the possibility of convening a cclh conference in 2022, building on the strengths of the 2018 Labour History Conference in Saskatoon. He noted the benefits of a conference in encouraging historically oriented contributions to Labour / Le Travail and noted that Vancouver, BC, had been identified as a potential location.
The President opened discussion on ideas for a cclh conference or conferences for 2022, and indicated that cclh had the financial resources to sponsor a conference.
Joan Sangster expressed support for the idea of convening a labour history conference in Vancouver, and discussed possible alignment with the work of the recently formed Labor History Collaboration Group.
Alvin Finkel discussed the work of the Labor History Collaboration Group, which brought together Canadian provincial and American state labour history organizations, focused on gathering of oral history and community-based dissemination of labour history.
Betsy Jameson discussed past collaboration between the cclh and the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association at a Vancouver conference.
Kirk Niergarth concurred with the benefits of collaboration along these lines.
Greg Kealey pointed to the Winnipeg General Strike conference in 2019 as a recent example of collaboration between academic labour historians, community-based labour history groups, and the labour movement.
Jim Naylor discussed ideas for academic-community collaboration in the field of labour history since the 2019 Winnipeg conference, to increase public dissemination of labour history. He noted the contribution of Rhonda Hinther in this regard.
Rhonda Hinther provided an update on this collaboration between academic and community-based labour historians, noting a delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and suggesting that this work will resume in the months ahead.
Charles Smith noted opportunities to promote the conference in the journal.
Kirk Niergarth discussed the potential for collaboration with Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Labour Heritage Centre, as well as opportunities to pursue additional conferences at other locations in Canada, with a view toward generating content for the journal.
It was moved by Kassandra Luciuk, seconded by Kirk Niergarth, that the cclh establish a Labour History Conference sub-committee to report with a plan to the Executive to convene one or more labour history conferences in 2022.
Carried unanimously.
The President asked for volunteers to serve on the Labour History Conference Committee. The following members volunteered to serve: Kassandra Luciuk, Joan Sangster, Julia Smith, Charles Smith, Jim Naylor, and Kirk Niergarth. The President agreed to convene a meeting of the committee in the next month. Kassanda Luciuk and Joan Sangster indicated a willingness to serve as chair of the committee.
8. Solicitation of volunteers for 2021 / 2022 prize juries
The President, Kirk Niergarth, invited cclh members to serve on jury committees for cclh writing prizes. He requested that members email him directly if they would like to serve on a particular committee, and indicated that he would also reach out to attendees following the meeting asking them to serve.
Julia Smith volunteered to serve on whichever jury committee she would be most useful.
9. Election of officers
The President, Kirk Niergarth, conducted elections for the following vacant officer positions on the cclh Executive Committee:
Second Vice President
Member at Large
The President declared nominations open for the office of Second Vice President of the cclh.
Kassandra Luciuk nominated Mikhail Bjorge for the office of Second Vice President of the cclh. Mikhail Bjorge agreed to stand. The President asked three more times for nominations. There being none, the President declared Mikhail Bjorge acclaimed as Second Vice President of the cclh.
The President declared nominations open for the office of Member at Large on the cclh Executive Committee.
Mikhail Bjorge nominated Kassandra Luciuk for the office of Member at Large of the cclh. Kassandra Luciuk agreed to stand. The President asked three more times for nominations. There being none, the President declared Kassandra Luciuk acclaimed as Member at Large on the cclh Executive Committee.
10. New business
The President asked if any members had items of New Business to discuss.
Ben Isitt announced the publication of his co-authored book with Ravi Malhotra, Able to Lead: Disablement, Radicalism, and the Political Life of E.T. Kingsley (ubc Press).
Kirk Niergarth announced the publication of Jason Smith’s book, Canada, A Working History (Dundurn).
Julia Smith announced the publication of a collection of essays she co-edited with Sean Carleton and Ted McCoy, Dissenting Traditions: Essays on Bryan D. Palmer, Marxism, and History (au Press).
Greg Kealey announced the publication of Joan Sangster’s book, Demanding Equality: One Hundred Years of Canadian Feminism (ubc Press).
Greg Kealey announced that Kassandra Luciuk had accepted a tenure-track position with the Department of History at Dalhousie University.
Julia Smith announced that the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association’s 2021 conference was being convened virtually from June 25 to 26, 2021.
11. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:21 pm, Eastern Time.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52975/llt.2021v88.0029.
Copyright © 2021 by the Canadian Committee on Labour History. All rights reserved.
Tous droits réservés, © « le Comité canadien sur l’histoire du travail », 2021.