Our History
Our History
The New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) was created in 1913 when Mr. James L. Sugrue of Saint John and Mr. Neil Savage of Moncton were elected President and Secretary-Treasurer respectively. At the Convention on January 20th, 1914 the following motion was passed:
“On motion the President and Secretary-Treasurer were empowered to procure a charter from the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada”.
For two years, semi-annual meetings were held in January and July, and since then regular conventions have been held.
The NBFL is composed of unionized workers within the Province, having representatives attending its conventions from almost every community in New Brunswick where a Labour Organization exists.
The NBFL is now Labour’s central voice in New Brunswick. The Federation invites workers to join together to ensure a fair workplace by bargaining collectively their:
- wages and benefits
- pensions
- holidays and vacations
- health and safety rules
- hours of work, and
- working conditions
It is the NBFL’s role to build solidarity and mutual support between unions.
For more information about the history of the Federation, see the book Provincial Solidarities: A History of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour (Athabasca University Press, 2013), available in paper and e-book or for free download at: