Labatt Historic Collection

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A Team: The People of Labatt
Pioneering Workplace Practices
Pioneering Workplace Practices

In Labatt’s early years, the relatively small scale of the brewery’s operations encourages members of the Labatt family to cultivate close ties with their workers, arranging regular social events and giving employees bonuses and gifts. As Labatt’s workforce grows in the 20th century, the company’s tradition of building bonds continues, as Labatt employees are among the first in the country to receive a number of important benefits, including paid statutory holidays, a guaranteed annual wage contract, and the opportunity to purchase shares of the company.

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1870
By 1870, 23 years after John Kinder Labatt began his brewing enterprise, Labatt has 15 employees.
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1907
On August 23, 1907, the International Union of Brewery Workers issues Charter No. 381 to employees at Labatt’s London Brewery.
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1912
In 1912, Labatt is among the first Canadian companies to introduce paid statutory holidays for employees, as negotiations result in an agreement for three days of paid holidays per year.
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1920
Labatt and its employees reach an agreement for a new union contract in 1920; wages have nearly doubled since 1910.
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1936
In 1936, brewery workers receive a new union charter, becoming Local No. 1 of the National Brewery Workers’ Union.
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1938
Labatt adds hospitalization benefits to its group insurance plan in 1938.
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1938
In 1938, Labatt wins praise from the labour movement by instituting a pension plan for all full-time employees.
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1942
In 1942, Labatt establishes a union-management committee to foster communication in matters of labour relations.
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1945
Labatt becomes a public company in 1945, with employees being offered the first opportunity to purchase shares.
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1946
Labatt employees receive a 40-hour work week in 1946.
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1962
In 1962, Labatt workers receive a guaranteed annual wage contract, the first such agreement in North America.
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1967
Labatt introduces the Employee Share Purchase Plan in 1967, which allows employees to purchase shares of the company through payroll deduction; 588 employees participate.
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1960
In 1960, the Canadian Bill of Rights is passed by Parliament.
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1919
The Winnipeg General Strike, one of the largest and most influential strikes in North American labour history, occurs in 1919.
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1896
The discovery of gold in the Yukon leads to the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899.
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1870
In 1870, the Red River Rebellion, led by Métis leader Louis Riel, results in Manitoba joining Confederation as Canada’s fifth province.
Initiatives for Employees

Labatt is dedicated to the wellbeing of its employees and their families, always striving to create a positive, productive, and healthy working environment. To that end, Labatt introduces a number of new initiatives and services throughout the 20th century, publicly declaring that its philosophy in employee relationships is “to create a climate that will permit and encourage the employee to use their talents to the full and to obtain maximum individual satisfaction with their work.”

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1943
Marguerite Whitelaw is appointed the brewery’s first nurse in 1943. She is available to provide first aid and visit employees confined to home because of illness or injury.
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1943
In 1943, Labatt management and employees join together to establish the company’s first Safety Committee to promote accident prevention.
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1951
Labatt presents a safety award to the company’s Construction and Maintenance Employees in 1951 for achieving a full year without lost time due to injury.
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1944
In 1944, the first hot meals are served at the London Brewery’s new cafeteria.
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1944
Labatt’s accounting office helps brewery employees prepare their income tax returns in 1944.
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1957
In 1957, Labatt celebrates fifty years of organized labour by establishing a university scholarship fund for employees’ children. Pictured are the scholarship winners for 1958, with their parents.
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1972
In 1972, Labatt introduces “Smile Across Canada,” a summer exchange program in which the children of Labatt employees are given the opportunity to live with host families in another province. Hundreds of children take part in the program over the years.
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1975
Labatt introduces its Employee Assistance Program for alcoholism identification and treatment in 1975.
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1976
Labatt’s Employee Handbook for 1976 summarizes many of the programs and services available to Labatt employees of that era, including rest periods, holidays, and maternity leave.
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1967
That same year, Montreal hosts Expo ’67. Over 50 million visitors attend Canada’s first World’s Fair.
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1967
In 1967, Canada celebrates its Centennial – the 100th anniversary of Confederation.
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1965
Canada’s new national flag – a red maple leaf between red white bars – wins the approval of Parliament in 1965.
Working at Labatt

The world has changed since 1847, but Labatt’s standing as one of Canada’s best employers has not. Labatt employees of any era take pride in producing quality beer and proudly state that Labatt is a great place to work. In 2014, Labatt’s commitment to its employees is recognized when the company is named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, earning that same honour again in 2015, 2016, and 2017, in addition to being named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers and Canada’s Best Employers for Young People for three years running.

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1907
Employee camaraderie is evident even in the earliest pictures of Labatt workers.
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1914
In 1914, Labatt brewer Hans Gersitz receives this letter informing him that he will be given a raise for the coming year; his pay increases by $300, to $1800 per year.
1920
Sales Manager Tom Fryer discusses wages in the 1910s-20s.
1930
Labatt mechanic Arthur Robertson discusses taking a pay cut during the Great Depression – and being reimbursed by the company later on.
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1937
Playful caricatures of Labatt salesmen greet guests as they attend the company’s annual sales convention in 1937.
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1940
A Labatt Sales Manual from the early 1940s describes the average day of a Labatt salesman at that time, including trips to the warehouse and local taverns.
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1942
In the early 1940s, Labatt employees put together an official company songbook, which includes the anthem “Glorious Beer.”
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1943
In 1943, Labatt’s fire brigade protects against a repeat of the devastating brewery fire of 1874.
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1947
A brewery worker carefully inspects hops in 1947, showing that the craftsmanship of brewing remains unchanged since the 1800s.
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1950
In the 1950s, quality remains Labatt’s number one priority, as employees carefully inspect bottles.
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1977
Employees of the 1970s perform tasks in their various work environments; their dedication to brewing remains the same as their predecessors.
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1987
In 1987, London sales rep Debra Kirby has a schedule that is similar to Labatt salespeople of 50 years earlier, including checking the warehouse and visiting licensees.
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1999
Creative safety measures earn Labatt St. John’s brewery employees an Innovation of the Year award from the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial government in 1999.
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2017
In 2014, Labatt is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in its first year entering the prestigious competition. It has since been named to the Top 100 Employers list in 2015, 2016, and 2017 – a four-year streak.
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2017
Labatt is also named one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2015, 2016, and 2017, with the selection committee in particular noting Labatt’s comprehensive internship program for university students.
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2017
In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Labatt is also recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for its longstanding performance in environmental protection and resource conservation.
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1880
In 1880, the original version of “O Canada” is composed by Calixa Lavallée; it is officially adopted as Canada’s national anthem in 1980 after having served unofficially for decades.
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1919
Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown make the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919, flying from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland.
In 1984, Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space, flying aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger.
1984
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Commitment to Canadian Communities
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Pioneering Workplace Practices
Initiatives for Employees
Working at Labatt