Ed Finn
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2008) |
Ed Finn | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party | |
| In office 1959–1963 | |
| Preceded by | Himself, as leader of the Newfoundland Democratic Party |
| Succeeded by | Calvin Normore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Finn June 4, 1926 Spaniard's bay, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Died | December 27, 2020 |
| Spouse | Geraldine (Dena) Pelletier |
| Children | 2 |
Edward (Ed) Finn Jr.
Early years
Finn was born in Spaniard's Bay, Newfoundland and raised in
Logger's strike
Under his stewardship The Western Star sympathetically covered the Newfoundland logger's strike of 1958-59. Finn later wrote of the period "It was such a heated and emotionally charged labour dispute that journalistic objectivity was simply not tolerated... you were either with the paper companies and the government, or you were with a gang of mainland union thugs, which was how the International Woodworkers' of America (IWA) leaders were unfairly depicted."[3]
Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood responded to the labour dispute by introducing legislation to decertify the International Woodworkers of America and also used police to harass picket lines.
Finn, as editor of the Western Star, war ordered by the newspaper's publishers to report only the company's and government's side of the dispute. As a result, Finn and three other journalists quit the newspaper.[2] He and two friends started their own newspaper, The Newfoundland Examiner with Finn as publisher and editor and devoted the journal to uncovering government and business corruption. The newspaper was unable to attract advertising revenue and folded after a year.
Political career
As a result of the strike, labour unions with the support of the
After being fired by his publisher, Finn was hired by the Canadian Labour Congress and persuaded to lead the Newfoundland Democratic Party
Later career
In 1963, Finn resigned as NDP leader and moved to Ottawa to accept a position with the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers. He remained with that union until 1980 when he and four other union staffers were dismissed after they refused to open mail during a strike by the union's clerical staff.[2] He then joined the Canadian Union of Public Employees with whom he remained until his retirement in 1991.
Finn also wrote a weekly labour column for the Toronto Star[2] from 1968 until 1982 and has also contributed articles to various publications.
He worked for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives from 1993 to 2014 and was the founder and editor of its monthly journal[2] and flagship publication, The CCPA Monitor. The CCPA published several collections of Finn's essays in three books, The Right is Wrong and the Left Is Right - Cutting through the Neoliberal Bafflegab, Under Corporate Rule and Who Do We Try to Rescue Today?. Finn’s memoir, Ed Finn: A Journalist’s Life on the Left, was published in October 2013.
In 2020, Ed Finn was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.[4]
He died of pneumonia at age 94 on December 27, 2020.[2]
Notes
- ^ "Ed Finn, 1926-2020". 28 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mickleburgh, Rod (14 January 2021). "Ed Finn, a 'fiery' figure, used his voice to fight union battles". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Ed Finn: Still fighting the good fight after all these years | National Union of Public and General Employees". Archived from the original on 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ "Governor General Announces 114 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". 26 November 2020.
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