Collection is organized into the following series:
I. Hoito Restaurant
II. Port Arthur Workingmen’s Association: Imatra no. 9
III. C.T.K.L. (Canadian Industrial Unions: Port Arthur’s Finnish Association)
IV. C.U.T. (Canadian News Service) and C.T.K.L.
V. Finlandia Club
VI. Finnish Socialist Local no. 6: Port Arthur
VII. Lumber Workers’ Industrial Union of the One Big Union
VIII. New Attempt Temperance Society
IX. Finnish Athletic Club: Nahjus
X. Finnish Building Company
XI. Miscellaneous

1993 to the Thunder Bay Finnish Canadian Historical Society by the Finlandia Club and the Finnish Building Company. The Canadian News Service materials were donated by the CTKL.

The Mike Solski fonds consists of material created, received, and accumulated by Mike Solski throughout his lifetime. The material documents Solski’s time with Mine Mill Local 598, various iterations of Municipal Government in the Sudbury Area, and his involvement in local history projects. Solski was involved with the administration of Mine Mill Local 598 during a particularly tumultuous period: the 1958 Strike, the 1961 Steelworkers’ raids, and the 1967 merger between Mine Mill and the USWA. The union was often accused of having communist leanings and was under the surveillance of the RCMP. Many records focus on these issues and highlight the cultural landscape within the Sudbury labour movement during the cold war.

As a whole, the fonds touches upon the multifaceted interests Solski held throughout his life and career and includes material on subjects such as Municipal, Provincial, and Federal politics, labour history—both locally and internationally—, tax reform, mining, and community activism. The fonds consists of correspondence, notes, meeting minutes, photographs, essays, audio interviews, and various other kinds of material. Leaflets and copies of Local 598 News, The Mine Mill Herald, and The Beacon, municipal documentation including compiled meeting minutes and correspondence, transcripts of interviews from local trade-union members, and videotapes on various matters can be found within the fonds. Assorted memorabilia, artifacts, awards and recognition, as well as newspaper clippings about Solski and other Sudbury Area figures are included as well. Records from the Sudbury and District Municipal Association and the institution of Regional Government within the District of Sudbury also make up a large portion of the fonds. Documentation and correspondence related to Solski’s various book projects, his involvement with the labour movement in Sudbury, as well as various other matters are included.

The fonds is organized into the following series: I- Trade-Unionism, II- Politics, and III- Communal Work.

The fonds consists of the original draft of the memorandum for the constitution of the Provincial Mine Workers of Ontario, correspondence and copies of decisions on appeals after the arrests of strikers, and documents efforts of miners in organizing a provincial union. Moreover, it illustrates the impact the 1912-1913 strike at Hollinger mine in South Porcupine had in union recognition.

The Archibald and Robin McArthur fonds attests to the roles played by the McArthurs in the mining and labour movement in Northern Ontario. The fonds consists of correspondence, minutes, and other print materials from Mine Mill Local 598 and other unions. The fonds also contains memorabilia, books, pamphlets, newspapers, articles, clippings, and photographs accumulated by both McArthurs.

More specifically, the Archibald McArthur series provides insight into his role in the Mine Mill Local 598 and its early period of organization, with a focus on early collective agreements between Mine Mill and Falconbridge.

The Robin McArthur series contains specific documentation about elections in Mine Mill Local 598 and McArthur's participation in these elections. The series also provides insight into the Mine Mill-Steelworkers dispute and eventual merger, which are significant events in Sudbury's and Ontario’s labour history. Finally, this series provides information regarding McArthur’s involvement in other unions including the RWDSU.

This fonds is arranged into two series: Series A: Archibald McArthur; Series B: Robin McArthur.

The fonds consists of one minute book of the regular meetings held between February 1917 and December 1919.

Records relate to the United Steelworkers of Amercia's (USWA or U.S.W.A.) District 6, Northwestern Ontario, and industries, sites, and companies where Union members worked.

Files include: collective agreements between the union and various companies, correspondence between various company and mine representatives (notably Henry Gareau), as well as presidents of the local unions and officials at different levels of government.

The Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) fonds consists mostly of handwritten and typed correspondence, and also contains minutes, resolutions, bankbooks, cheque stubs, ledgers, reports, school curriculum outlines, and news bulletins. Included as well are travel claims, salary schedules, membership lists and some copies of the federation magazine The Bulletin (1958-1968).

This fonds, documenting the labour movement within education, presents a comprehensive picture of OSSTF affairs and organizing procedures from 1920-1968. Specifically, although not without exception, the records highlight OSSTF activities in Districts 28 and 29, jurisdictions which encompass most of Northeastern Ontario. Many papers represent correspondence to and between the Provincial Executive, the District Secretaries and the membership at large. Meticulous accounts of membership totals and dues illustrate the constant drive for membership participation through the years, and the financial records illustrate the success of this drive. Some very lively correspondence written by the Provincial General Secretary and the Provincial Treasurer, both of whom served in these positions from 1924-1947, is testament to their enthusiasm and convictions. Researchers interested in the OSSTF response to the loss of 600 teachers to the armed service during WWII, to the matter of child poverty, to the School Law Amendment Act of 1938, and to cases of professional difficulty will find the records rich in documentation.

The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Timmins Office fonds attests to all activities, realizations, battles, struggles and achievements of the Union in the area. Although the fonds contains very few records from the first years of its presence in the regions of Timmins and Kirkland Lake, it still attests to the significant role the Union played in the area. Informing of the staff representatives’ responsibilities and services provided to the Locals, the USWA Timmins Office fonds also illustrates the different administrative functions of the Office.

In fact, some records, such as charters, by-laws, nomination forms, vote ballots and procedures for election, are indicative, not only of the process of affiliation of Locals to the USWA, but also of their duties. Minutes books, correspondence, financial statements and due journals give a better sense of understanding of the Timmins Office’s governing role. It also documents the coordination and administration of Locals’ activities. The fonds contains records in regard to the role of the Office with the Locals under its responsibility.

The USWA Timmins Office fonds also contains records in regard to tasks involved with the administration of the spaces and properties owned by the Union. Minutes of the Building Committee, appraisals and plans illustrate management, renovation and maintenance activities but also attest to their patrimonial value. Other records are indicative of the active involvement of the staff and Locals’ representatives, both in the social and political spheres. Plaques, correspondence and photographs, are testimonies not only of the Union’s participation to the erection of memorials for miners and the organization of the Day of Mourning, but also of the support to social groups such as Victims of Mining Environment and local food banks. Moreover, correspondence files and briefs attest to the lobbying efforts with the provincial and federal governments in regard to labour legislations, more specifically in the Health and Safety field. Some records are indicative of the Union’s official identification over the years; many artefacts, leaflets and newsletters bearing the USWA logo attest to the promotion of the Union and its public image. Booklets and other material published by the Union inform not only of the duties and responsibilities of staff positions, but are also indicative of the USWA’s role in educating and training its staff and members. A large number of documentation attests to battles and disputes involving the Union against the membership or the companies. Correspondence and related documents in regard to the merger of IUMMSM and USWA, are also included.

Certification and membership files, including seniority lists, organizer’s report and OLRB forms, are indicative of the organizing activities and development of membership as well as the process of affiliation to the USWA. These documents also inform of jurisdictional disputes against other unions. Numerous correspondences, union-management meeting minutes, policies and procedures attest to daily negotiations between the staff representatives and the companies in regard to the protection of the membership’s working conditions. Also, a large number of notes, proposals, memos, amended articles and agreements outline the process of collective bargaining. These files are quite complete and cover a long period of time. Moreover, incentive agreements, correspondence and job descriptions contained in the layoff files inform of the different steps of a company closure and measures put in place to encourage training and rehabilitation of employees. Also, the USWA Timmins Office fonds well documents the creation and implementation of procedures and legislations to protect the members from health and safety hazards. Minutes of Joint Health and Safety committees, inspection reports and documentation illustrate the commitment of staff and Locals’ representatives to work with the companies in order to provide a safe working environment.

The Nels Thibault fonds consists of correspondence, copies of speeches, submissions and reports, election materials, photos, the Charter of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers (IUMMSW), a delegate’s ribbon, newspapers, and newspaper clippings, among other types of records.

The records of this fonds provide an account of Nels Thibault’s professional activities over the years. They attest to the interests and activities of Thibault in his capacity as President of both the Local 598 and the Canadian office of IUMMSW, as well as to IUMMSW public events and activities. Personal and official correspondence between Thibault and other union members, as well as his speeches, press releases and election materials document the difficult years of factionalism and animosity between members of the IUMMSW and the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) in Sudbury during the early 1950s and 1960s. Events preceding and during the 1967 merger of these two unions are also detailed. Files from Nels Thibault’s activities as member of Task Force Committees, commissions and also as a USWA representative both in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, inform on his realizations. The correspondence outlines his role with the Manitoba Federation of Labour, but also his wider activities within the world of trade unionism.

This fonds consists of correspondence, an unpublished manuscript, photographs, and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. The correspondence is mainly with his brother Cleve, with regard to the Northern Ontario mining labour movement in general, between the years 1945-1975, and specifically to James Kidd’s activities within both the Mine Mill, Local 598 and Steelworkers, Local 6500. The manuscript written by Mr. Kidd is entitled “The Organizer” and is described by him as a “manual for labour relations.” The photographs include the Steel Raids of 1961, and Mr. Kidd’s 1977 retirement celebration.

The involvement of James Kidd in the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), his position within the union structure, his anti-communist sentiments and his philosophy regarding union organization and strategy are outlined both within his unpublished manuscript and in letters to his brother Cleve. Events surrounding the 1956 trial and dismissal of both Mr. Kidd and 53 other union members from the Mine Mill are also detailed. The material would be of note to researchers interested in the labour movement and the factionalism which characterized union activity in Sudbury during the years 1942-1967.

The six series of this fonds are: Series I: Correspondence with brother Cleve.; Series II: Photographs; Series III: Steelworkers correspondence; Series IV: Miscellaneous; Series V: Trial history and Series VI: Scrapbook.

The fonds contains personal and official correspondence, a trial committee transcript, constitution handbooks, membership lists, copies of Local 598 News, and clippings from local newspapers, including The Sudbury Star and Northern Life.

These records pertain to some of the activities of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (IUMMSW), Local 598 in Sudbury. Most of the documentation refers to events preceding and during the 1967 merger of IUMMSW with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), but some administrative files are also included which provide information on the management of union halls, and on the responsibilities of an election officer.

Frederick O. Robinson was born in Port Arthur, Ontario on Aug. 2, 1903. He attended public and high school in Port Arthur and then served his apprenticeship to the machinist trade in the C.N.R. shops. He worked for 25 years as a skilled machinist in the Port Arthur shops of the C.N.R. until his election to the Ontario legislature in 1943. He continued to work as a C.N.R. machinist between sessions of the legislature, and after his election to the office of mayor, he worked in the C.N.R. shops on weekends.

He entered public life in January 1943 when he was elected to the Port Arthur Board of Education. In August of the same year he was elected to the Ontario legislature as C.C.F. member for Port Arthur. He was M.L.A. for Port Arthur until his defeat in 1951. In civic affairs, he remained on the Board of Education until 1946 when he was elected as alderman. In 1949, he became Mayor of Port Arthur; he remained in this post except for 1952 when he was defeated until 1955 when he resigned to become personnel manager for the Public Utilities Commission. He left active political life at this time. He resigned from the Public Utilities Commission in 1966 because of ill health. In July, 1969, he died.

The Frederick O. Robinson fonds comprises 7 feet of correspondence, clippings, pamphlets, articles and other material and is contained in seventeen transfer cases. The folder titles in the main are those designated by Mr. Robinson. Some re-arrangement of the material has been effected in order to comply with the folder titles. Since the folders themselves were in no apparent order when .they were donated to the university, the following arrangement was thought to be most suitable for research purposes:
I. Pre-1943 Period
II. Political Affairs (relating to the C.C.F.)
III. The Ontario Legislature and Provincial Affairs, 1943-51
IV. Provincial and Local Affairs.
V. Local and Municipal Affairs.
VI. General
VII. Miscellaneous

The James (Jim) Tester fonds attests to the work of Jim Tester as a union member and journalist in Sudbury, Ontario from 1951-1993. His efforts in promoting cooperative efforts and negotiation as a union member, and as a retired citizen, are well documented. The position of Tester in union matters is reflected in the official and personal correspondence contained in the fonds. His work as a journalist for the community newspaper Northern Life illustrates his lifelong commitment to social activism.

The fonds consists of correspondence, notes, trip journals, speeches and memorabilia. Negotiation notes, articles, briefing notes, pamphlets, collective agreements, press releases, audio cassettes, newspapers, and newspaper clippings inform us on Tester’s role as a member of unions, and more specifically the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers (IUMMSW) Local 598 when he was President. The correspondence dates mainly from the years that Tester was involved with the Mine Mill Union. The fonds contains minutes of IUMMSW staff meetings (1969-1974), as well as minutes of the Canadian Executive of IUMMSW (1960-1964). Files of negotiations, proposals, and reports on work conditions are mostly of the 1969 negotiations with Falconbridge when Tester was President of the union. The collective agreements are mostly for Falconbridge (1949-1994), but include sixty-two different booklets. Other printed materials in the fonds include a copy of an MA thesis, copies of the union newspaper Local 598 News, and books, booklets, and pamphlets relating to unions, including Mine Mill Local 598.

Newspaper clippings and originals (some computer printouts) document the “On the Anvil” column that Tester wrote for Northern Life from 1974-1993, and the Steel raids of the 1960s. The audio cassettes are mostly interviews of persons related to union activity, as well as lectures used as source material for “On the Anvil.” Tester also wrote poetry – some of his poems can be found in the fonds.

Meeting minutes, a membership list, and news release for the Coalition for Responsible Local Government are also contained in the fonds, as well as a submission to the Province of Ontario by the Pensioners of Sudbury for Regional Tax Reform.

The Cleve Kidd fonds consists of notes and correspondence, negotiation files, reports, speeches, photographs. Constitutions, articles, printed material and newspaper clippings are also included. The professional achievements of Cleve Kidd in the labour movement, and concerns at the personal level from 1940-1990, are found in the records. His role as arbitrator and conciliator in the field of labour and industrial relations is well documented. The records provide insight to the activities of Canadian unions working in conjunction with labour groups in the Caribbean and the United States. The photographs of the fonds depict his work for the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) on the international stage. The proceedings of the negotiations between the Canadian Pacific Airlines and Trans-Canada Airlines are also well documented in the fonds.

The fonds consists of records that pertain to the labour movement. The records include collective agreements signed by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers (IUMMSW), 3 scrapbooks of newspaper clippings on the 1958 strike, recordings of “The Battle Within,” and enlarged reproductions of photographs pertaining to mining.

The Roy Scranton fonds is divided into 5 series:

1. Mine Mill
2. Local and national concern
3. International concerns
4. Mine Mill defense
5. Council of Canadian Unions

The Reverend S.C. Murray fonds consists of memoirs written by S.C. Murray concerning life in Port Arthur and church affairs.

The Northern Ontario Labour Industrial Archives fonds attests to the activities and accomplishments of the group. Moreover, the administrative files, photographs, and printed materials provide information about not only the financial aspect of maintaining the archives, but also about the type of documentation they collected, as well as the fact that they were providing access to students and researchers in general. The photographs illustrate the many well-known union leaders who visited NOLIA and donated their archives, as well as several special events that took place there.

The series of tape recordings document many cornerstones of labour history in Northern Ontario, and in Canada. The tape recordings consist of interviews conducted by NOLIA between 1980 and 1982, a well as press conferences, presentations and sound recordings of documentaries and films, all relating to labour.