Charles Millard
| Charlie Millard | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
|
In office 1948–1951 |
|
| Preceded by | John Pearman Allan |
| Succeeded by | Elmer Brandon |
| Constituency | York West |
|
In office 1943–1945 |
|
| Preceded by | William Gardhouse |
| Succeeded by | John Pearman Allan |
| Constituency | York West |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 25, 1896 St. Thomas, Ontario |
| Died | November 24, 1978 (aged 82) Toronto, Ontario |
| Political party | CCF |
| Profession | Trade Unionist |
| Religion | United Church |
Charles Hibbert (Charlie) Millard (August 25, 1896 - November 24, 1978) was a Canadian trade union activist and politician.
He was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, the son of a railroad repairman, and first trained as a carpenter. Millard became an autoworker after his small business failed as a result of the Great Depression.
Employed by General Motors in Oshawa, Ontario, Millard was involved in the organizing auto workers in the 1930s and was elected the first president of the new United Auto Workers local 222 in Oshawa leading his union out on strike in 1937 after GM refused to recognize the union. The 18-day-long strike was successful and Millard's local obtained the first contract in Canada between an automobile manufacturer and its workers. Millard was elected the first Canadian director of the United Auto Workers, was a full-time organizer for the CIO and was also elected to the provincial executive of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in Ontario. Millard was active in championing the CCF within the union against the Communist Party of Canada, and was viewed as some as a divisive force.
In 1939, he was defeated in his bid for re-election as the UAW's Canadian director by George Burt who was the candidate of the "Unity Caucus" composed of Communists, left-wing CCFers and other militants who viewed Millard as right-wing.
CIO president John L. Lewis appointed Millard secretary of the CIO in Canada and then as the first head of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee in Canada (SWOC) became the United Steel Workers of America in 1942 with Millard as Canadian director and was active in purging Communists from the SWOC. Millard was also an executive member of the Canadian Congress of Labour and played a role in establishing the United Packinghouse Workers in Canada.
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