Eugene Mitchell (1931-2018)
Year: 2002, 2010
Location: Edmonton
Profile: Eugene Mitchell played leading roles in both the Alberta labour movement and the fledgling NDP over several decades. Born and raised in British Columbia, Mitchell became a union activist in the 1950s as a process operator at Northwest Nitro Chemicals in Medicine Hat. His role in winning recognition for the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers to replace the company union led to his election as local president. He then helped organize Great Canadian Oil Sands, the first oil sands plant in Fort McMurray. From 1968 to 1981 Mitchell served the Alberta Federation of Labour as first executive secretary and then secretary-treasurer. Mitchell promoted cooperation between the industrial unions and the building trades while supporting the growth of public service unionism. During his AFL years, Mitchell advocated for increased involvement of unions in the fight for social programs and for health and safety legislation. He was involved in the establishment of Friends of Medicare in 1979. His advocacy as a trade unionist for social legislation led Mitchell to become involved in the establishment of the New Democratic Party both nationally and provincially. Mitchell came a close second to a Progressive Conservative incumbent in Edmonton Beverly as an NDP candidate in 1979.
Keywords: Alberta Labour Act; Building Trades; Great Canadian Oil Sands; Medicine Hat; New Democratic Party; Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers; Petrochemical industry; Public sector unions; Social Credit; Workers’ Compensation Board.
Transcript: Download PDF (2002); Download PDF (2010)
See also: Alberta Federation of Labour; Celanese Edmonton: Workers’ Stories; Canadian Labour Congress; Friends of Medicare; Occupational Health and Safety; Unifor