Labour Day 2024 Tote Bag

All Labour is Skilled Labour
2024 Labour Day Design

We commissioned illustrator Abelberith to create this new All Labour is Skilled Labour design. Abi hopes to tell different bits of the story in the fight for dignified acknowledgment of all jobs.

All Labour is Skilled Labour hopes to represent the global history of the Labour movement, encompassing the industries most involved in it; all the the trade workers, the artists, public service provides, and so many more, through the tools and uniform that they are most well known of. Taking inspiration from iconography of the movement from both the past and present — most notably the flower arrangement and sunrise imagery in the background — this work hopes to tell different bits of the story in the fight for dignified acknowledgment of all jobs. The illustration is done digitally, however its stylization took inspiration from various printmaking aesthetics: a combination of the bold linework from linocut printmaking and the vibrant colors of risograph printing. 

All Labour is Skilled Labour is made by someone who is young and has only recently started building their career and creative practice. Reflecting on this, I feel that there is still so much to learn in traversing the industry, including how to advocate for myself and for my colleagues. Through this work, I hope to be able to understand more and be involved more in this movement, as it serves not only me but everyone in the community.

Tote Bags: Union cooperatively made in Canada by SCOOP (the Vancouver Sewing Labour Cooperative)
Design: Union designed in Canada
Printing: Union printed in Canada