During WWII, Harry Hynd was among other British children preparing to emigrate to Australia, but their plans soon changed when one of the ships going to Canada was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. 

In 1951, Harry began his union career in Scotland, where he worked as an Engineer in a coal mine and became a steward in the National Union of Mineworkers. The extreme danger and dust was too much for his liking, so in 1957, Harry emigrated to Canada and went to work for STELCO in Hamilton, Ontario. He joined USWA Local 1005 and soon became a Union Steward. In 1971, he joined the Steelworkers Staff.

Harry served as the Assistant to the District 6 Director, Leo Gerard, and became the District 6 Director in 1991, when Leo became Canadian National Director. Harry held that position until he retired in 2002.

Harry has been a Vice President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, a member of the Federation’s Education Committee, and Chair of its Safety and Health Committee.

In 2005, USW International President Leo W. Gerard appointed him SOAR Vice President, to fill the vacancy created when Ken O’Neal stepped down due to health concerns. Harry was then elected SOAR Vice President at the following International SOAR Conference.