United Rubber Workers Local 118
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Joseph MacKenzie arrived in Toronto with his family at age two. After initially apprenticing to be a printer, unemployment in the 1930s led him to seek work in a rubber factory, which he tried unsuccessfully to organize. He helped to launch Local 118 of the United Rubber Workers in 1937 and the next year joined the union’s staff. In 1941 he became Canadian director. From 1947 to 1951 he was also president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. He was also active in the Political Action, Executive, and Organizing committees of the Canadian Congress of Labour. He joined the CCL staff in 1950 and remained organization director of the new Canadian Labour Congress after 1956 until he retired in 1975. He spearheaded the organization of white-collar workers in the Association of Clerical and Technical Employees.