The St. Paul Labor Speakers Club will host a free screening Monday, Oct. 24, of Elaine Briere's 2004 documentary film, Betrayed: The Story of Canadian Merchant Seaman. The free event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Paul Labor Center, 411 Mahoney (aka Main) St.

The year was 1949. After suffering many losses in WWII, Canadian seamen who sacrificed for their country returned home to find another war to fight. The Cold War. And this time they were the enemy.

Although Canada is surrounded by three oceans, today not a single deep-sea ship flies the Canadian flag. Sixty years ago, Canada had the fourth-largest merchant fleet in the world. After WWII, the Canadian government began to privatize the fleet. In 1949, the Canadian Seamen's Union fought back with the largest maritime strike in the 20th century, joined by workers in 26 countries.

Red-baited, jailed and fired, the striking seamen were blacklisted along with their militant supporters in the U.S.-based Seafarers International Union This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 651-222-3787 ext. 16.