The Wire

The biggest maritime strike of the 20th century is the subject matter of the latest documentary by award winning Canadian filmmaker Elaine Briere. The documentary, Betrayed, looks at moves by the Canadian and American governments in 1949 to privatize the Canadian merchant fleet, and in the process, break the Canadian Seamans Union. The strikers – who had all served in the navy in World War Two – fought back and garnered the support of unions from over 26 countries around the world, who all went on strike in sympathy. The result was a worldwide strike that lasted for five months and reduced global shipping by 60%. However, eventually the Canadian union was broken, labeled as a Communist organization, and replaced by an American union that proved less progressive and more compliant to driving wages down. The director of the documentary, Elaine Briere, is in Australia on a speaking tour sponsored by the Maritime Union of Australia. She spoke earlier with The Wire about the ongoing relevance of the story for unions and all working people around the world.

Maritime Union of Australia
Elaine Briere’s website