ABSTRACT
This chapter describes violence both by and against labour in Canada, particularly since 1960. It also describes various confrontations between labour, capital, and the state. A sample of post-1960 cases will serve to illustrate typical examples of violent behaviour by labour, capital's representatives, and state managers. The chapter shows the public nature of the violence, while describing the relative power of labour, capital, and the state, and show that such differential power relations contribute to violence both by and against labour. The mid-twentieth century, labour unrest has perhaps occurred less frequendy in Canada, but it has remained tumultuous, violent, disruptive, and consequential for workers, social institutions, and the dominant social order. The chapter explains several cases of public violence oft initiated by labour as a means of affecting social change for both instrumental and expressive benefits. Public violence is initiated by business aided by the state and its agents to prevent social change and to maintain the status quo.
