SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Teachers should check the following suggested activities to see which are appropriate for your students. Feel free to adjust to your classroom needs.
- Definitions - Understanding Terms
Before reading any of the articles or documents, arrange the students in groups to define and discuss the meanings of a select group of terms. Have each group present their definitions to the class and discuss the meanings of each term to be relatively assured that they have a basic understanding of the terms.
- union solidarity
- heavy water
- nuclear power/technology
- nuclear reactor
- pickets/picket line
- shift
- freighter
- longshoremen
- contract
- container terminal
- military coup
- military dictatorship
- political prisoners
- Third World
- civil war
- civil liberties/rights
- human rights
- union rights
- CANDU nuclear reactor
- subsidies
- pay-offs
- 1970 Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty
- resolution
- coalition
- scuttle
- Getting the Participants Straight:
Who were they and what role did they play in the Hot Cargo incident?
As individuals or in groups have students use only the Hot Cargo, 1979 story to find out as much as they can about the people and groups mentioned. Then have students conduct research to find more information on their subjects or groups. What changes have taken place in the group(s) or person(s) in the last 30 years?
- Flora MacDonald
- Larry Hanley
- Barbara Hunter
- Enrique Tabak
- Alberto Piccinini
- Nancy White
- Jimmy Orr
- John Foster
- Saint John and District Labour Council
- Group for the Defence of Civil Rights in Argentina
- Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
- New Brunswick Federation of Labour
- Canadian Labour Congress - John Simonds
- International Longshoremen's Association
- NO CANDU Committee
- Canadian Paperworkers Union
- United Auto Workers
- International Association of Machinists
- Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Canadian Union of Public Employees
- Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers
- Maritime Fishermen's Union
- Voice of Women
- Conservation Council of New Brunswick
- Project Ploughshares
- Maritime Energy Coalition
- United Church of Canada
- Brotherhood of Railway, Airline and Steamship Clerks
- United Nations
- Maritime Employers Association
- Acronyms
Unions are often known by their acronyms or initials. The names of many different unions and associations are listed in Activity 2. Find out the acronyms for each of these groups that were involved in the Hot Cargo affair. What are the acronyms of unions and associations found in your community? Are these acronyms found in dictionaries? Is there a "right" way to say them, and are some of them easier to say than others?
- Time Line
Construct a Time Line to show the major events associated with the Hot Cargo affair.
- Preparing protest items: buttons / picket signs / videos
Discuss with your class the different ways of protesting matters that they think are unfair. Have the students choose one issue that they think is important enough for them to protest. Have them design and prepare protest buttons, protest signs and banners and/or prepare a protest video that could be placed on sites like YouTube. Have students examine other methods of protest that might be effective in promoting a cause.
- Resolutions
The New Brunswick Federation of Labour passed a Resolution concerning the Hot Cargo issue in 1979.
- What is the purpose of a resolution?
- What demands were made in this resolution?
- Why do you think the Federation endorsed this resolution?
- How effective can a resolution be?
- Are resolutions necessary?
- Are resolutions (like New Year's resolutions) made to be broken?
- How does a resolution compare to a contract?
- Unions and Solidarity Project
Many different unions and organizations joined in the Hot Cargo protest. Find out the names of people who were members of the Saint John longshoremen's union or other unions or groups that were involved in the protest. Find out why there was so much support for the Saint John longshoremen. Can any members in your family remember anything about the Hot Cargo affair of 1979? Conduct interviews with any people in your community who were involved with, or had knowledge of, the Hot Cargo incident.
- Writing a Newspaper Article
Read the article “Argentina to honour longshoremen” from the 30 April 2009 issue of the Telegraph-Journal newspaper. Conduct research to find out if and when the award was presented. Prepare a newspaper article explaining what the presentation of this award means about the relationship between Canadian workers and workers in other parts of the world.
- Persuading Governments
Discuss with students the ways in which they would try to influence a government to support their position on an issue important to them. What level of government should they approach? Why is it necessary to sometimes get government support? Have students prepare a “Letters to the Editor” campaign and evaluate its success. Discuss other ways in which students could get public opinion on their side. Why is it important to have public opinion on your side when dealing with governments?
- Conflict Resolution - Understanding all Positions
Choose a situation where there is a dispute between a labour union and an employer. Find out what the disagreement is about.
- What are the issues involved?
- How is this matter covered by the media?Is there evidence of bias?
- Are other people or groups involved in the dispute?
- What are their positions on the dispute?
- Are the demands made by the workers reasonable?
- Are the demands made by the employer reasonable?
- How can the issue be successfully resolved?
- Analyzing Song Lyrics
Listen to the song “No Hot Cargo” that was written and performed by Nancy White at the time these events were in the news. Find the song by going to the Hot Cargo, 1979 feature and selecting DOCUMENTS under LEARN MORE. After reading the story and listening to the song:
- Do you think the lyrics accurately describe the events?
- What events were stressed?
- What events were not included?
- Why do you think this was the case?
- How effective can a song like “No Hot Cargo” be in protesting a specific issue?
Find examples of other protest songs (such as “The Universal Soldier” , “One Tin Soldier” and “The Strangest Dream” ) and explain why these songs have been effective.
Nancy White became well-known for her protest songs. What other protest songs has she written, and on what topics? Find out more about this prominent Canadian musician who used her talent to publicize many controversial issues over the past three decades.
- Human Rights
The human rights of Argentine citizens were at the centre of the Hot Cargo issue. In 1947 the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The original drafts were written by Hampton native John Peters Humphrey. As a class project, investigate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to see what sections apply to this topic and to you. Find out how civil and union rights might differ from human rights.
- Heavy Water
The export of heavy water was at the centre of the Hot Cargo issue. Heavy water was produced in Atlantic Canada in two locations, Glace Bay and Port Hawkesbury. Prepare a report on the establishment of heavy water plants in the Maritimes during the 1960s. Why were these plants established in Cape Breton and why were they later dismantled? Find out where the heavy water used in the nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau comes from. Did Point Lepreau ever use heavy water produced in the Maritimes?
- Contracts
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) signed a contract with the government of Argentina to construct the CANDU reactor and to provide the necessary heavy water fuel. Was the government right to insist that this contract be honoured? How binding is a contract? Are there ever instances where breaking a contract is justified?Is a verbal contract different from a written contract? Are some contracts more important than others? Should a professional athlete be permitted to break a contract? Is it acceptable to break a marriage contract? Read the article “Labour blocks Heavy Water” from the July-August 1979 copy of the Canada/Argentina Bulletin. What did Flora MacDonald, the Minister of External Affairs, say about international contracts? Why would the Canadian government take this position? Was this position justified or not?
- Canadian International Trade
In the Hot Cargo case the longshoremen's act of protest aimed to influence the behaviour of the Argentine government by delaying the Canadian government's trade with another nation. Although the union was using this as leverage in a struggle to help workers in another country - and not attempting to stop trade altogether - are there any situations where the Canadian government should restrict or cut off trade with another nation?
Any of the following questions could be used for class discussion or as debate topics:
- Should one sovereign nation restrict trade with another because of the way another government treats its people?
- Is the Canadian government ever justified in becoming involved in the internal affairs of another sovereign nation?
- Should Canadians boycott goods from other countries if the workers in these countries are not properly rewarded for their efforts?
- Child Labour Project
Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Free The Children was founded in 1995 by international child rights activist and Canadian Craig Kielburger. The organization has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children's Nobel Prize) and the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.The primary goals of the organization are to free children from poverty and exploitation and free young people from the idea that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world. Through domestic empowerment programs and leadership training, Free The Children inspires young people to develop as socially conscious global citizens and become agents of change for their peers around the world.Find out more about Craig Kielburger and his organization Free The Children. Should students in New Brunswick schools become involved in organizations such as this?
- Continuity and Change
In the three decades since the Hot Cargo affair, the type of government in Argentina has changed significantly and the same has happened in other parts of South America. How does the government in Argentina today differ from the one Canadian workers protested against in 1979? What changes have been made? How is today's Canadian government different from, or similar to, the government that faced the Hot Cargo issue in 1979?
- Decisions and Unintended Consequences
Sometimes government decisions lead to unintended consequences. Starting in the 1950s Canada sold CANDU nuclear reactors to several countries including Pakistan, South Korea, Romania, the People's Republic of China, and Argentina. Why did Canada sell the CANDU reactors to other countries? What have been, or potentially could be, the unintended consequences of the Canadian government action?On 31 March 1976 Member of Parliament Allan Lawrence opposed CANDU sales to Argentina in an interview for the CBC television program “Take 30” . Listen to the interview to find out why he was opposed. What changes had taken place in the Argentine government in the week before this interview? Visit the CBC Archives article link from 31 March 1976.
- A Current Related Issue - Medical Isotopes
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), the Crown corporation that produced both the CANDU nuclear reactors and the heavy water to keep them operating, also produces radioactive isotopes for medical use. The production of medical isotopes in Canada has become a major issue for the Canadian government. Find out how these isotopes are produced and used, and why this has become a major issue. What is the position of the Canadian government? Prepare a report on the issue, making suggestions about how this issue might be resolved.
- Historical Investigation - Poster “TO THOSE WHO HELPED”
Use the poster “To Those Who Helped” as a starting point for historical investigation. This painting by Richard Peachey was presented to the Saint John and District Labour Council by the NO CANDU Committee in recognition of their solidarity with the workers of Argentina. (The painting includes Jimmy Orr, Ronald McLeod, Larry Hanley, Harvey Watson, David Brown, Enrique Tabak and others.) It was based on a photograph taken on the day of protest, which is also included as a document on the same site. There is also a photograph of the presentation of the poster to Larry Hanley. The painting is now on display at the W. Franklin Hatheway Labour Exhibit Centre, Rockwood Park, Saint John.
Describe what is depicted on this poster.
- In what ways could this poster be considered as historical evidence for future historians?
- How could the events portrayed on this poster be considered historically significant?
The poster refers to an event that happened on 3 July 1979.
- What has changed in the past thirty years concerning the way interested parties (such as governments and unions) deal with similar situations?
- What has remained the same?
History contains a moral dimension that might change over time.
- Would workers be justified in taking similar actions today?
- Were they justified in taking such actions thirty years ago?