Strikes In Canadian Unionism

In the period of 1870-1900, labor unions and organizations were rarely successful in achieving their goals primarily because of problems with being able to organize large numbers of American Workers. The rare victories for labor were isolated incidents because there were no labor organizations on a national or even state-wide basis. The problems with organization arose because of five major factors - differences in union leadership, divisions between skilled and unskilled workers, ethnic and racial tensions, and employer, and government and public hostility.

In 1820’s labor unions were organized by their specific trade and city and then later in 1834 the National Trades Union was created to form a single centralized unit. Labor unions helped create a stronger more stable working class with a better work environment. Unions helped create unity among

Follow WW1 soldiers would return home to a lack of jobs, high prices on basic necessities, and low minimum wage. This struck a fire within the people which started the movement for modern labour, along with the birth of the union. With no sign of change within the horrendous conditions following the war,the people rose up in search of a resolution. One of the driving factors was the Winnipeg General Strike which brought over 30,000 workers to leave the workplace, leaving Winnipeg in a standstill, sending an abrupt wake up call to the government to take action. Following these events is what shaped Canada into the working environment that it is today, with unions being put into place and a higher workplace standard being set, this one event brings change to the social, political and economic stature of

Unions were formed for a good reason, to fight back and  get their rights they deserved. It was to make sure no one person was fighting alone. The Union was a good way for the workers to have a strong voice. Striking was the easiest way to try to make the company weak. The Great Strike of

In more recent decades the government has slowly been taking away unions ability to work and workers right to strike. The history of the industrial revolution in Canada has lead to the rise of unions and thus the repression of workers when they are trying to get their rights. Workers realized they needed to work together in solidarity to get what they wanted and thus the idea of collective alliance was born. In the late 19th century when strikes started to occur the government encourages employers to break up unions and hire strikebreakers, and to use the troops from the

In March 1919 western labour leaders met in Calgary to discuss the creation of OBU (One Big Union). In Winnipeg on May 15, when negotiations broke down between management and labour in the building and metal trades, the Winnipeg Trades and Labor Council (WTLC) called a general strike. They were fighting for the principles of collective bargaining, and better wages and working conditions. Shortly afterwards,

Some of the union's group became violent that ever thing happens in 1892 with the Homestead Strike at Carnegie Steel where 12 people die. This happens because of him and his general manager Henry Frick lockout the worker because they did not give up their right to unionize and the change to two twelve-hour shifts rather than three eight-hour shifts. It got so bad the governor had to send the state militia. Henry Frick makes the factory into a fortress to keep out the worker by the hiring of a private army of Pinkerton detectives. But that would keep safe Frick from someone tried to kill him (Critchlow 2011).

After the war, Canadian factories that manufactured war supplies were permanently closed. This produced a lot of unemployment and bankruptcy. The cost to live was increasing dramatically and many people (who were still employed) could not compete with the inflation.(CBC, N/A, 1). WW1 veterans who had returned home after the war found that the wages were far too low.(School Work Helpers, 2016, 1). Some people wished to be employed, while others wished for better working conditions.(CBC, N/A, 2). On May 15, 1919, metal and building workers and the trades and labor council declared a strike. In a few hours, 30,000 left their jobs to participate in the strike.(Reilly, 2006, 3). One Big Union (OBG) was designed to speak for the workers.(School Work Helpers, 2016, 1). The House Of Commons had modified the Immigration Act so that any individual who was not born in Canada would be deported.(School Work Helpers, 2016, 2). The government feared that this strike would create a revolution, so they interfered. Workers were told to either go back to work or be fired.(Reilly, 2006, 6). On June 21, 1919, otherwise known as Bloody Saturday many people engaged in a silent protest. 2 people were killed that day and many sustained injuries. Several of the union leaders were arrested.(School Work Helpers, 2016, 2). Strike leaders were afraid that more people would be killed so on June 25, they went back to work.(Reilly, 2006, 3).

In the second half of the nineteenth century trade unionism became much more recognized by governments. The government recognized that it is the right of workers to organize. This fundamental common law principle became a freedom of contract or the concept that people should be free to make bargains with each other and that the law should enforce such contracts if necessary. This became legalized in the year 1871 and by the year 1875 picketing also became legal. By the year 1884 these unions became legalized by France’s Third Republic and also in Germany in 1890. These unions became corporations able to own property and to sue and be sued. This enabled these unions

Unions were formed to protect and improve the rights of workers. Their first order of business was to establish the eight-hour workday and in 1866, the national labor union was formed. Labor movements were around before 1866, but few organized up until this point. Unions created an environment for workers with difficult tasks, creating better pay, safer work conditions, and sanitary work conditions. Unions made life better for many Americans in the private sector. Collective bargaining became the way in which employers and a group of employees reached agreements, coming to a common consensus. From 1866 to the early 1900’s Unions continued to make headways increasing membership and power. The real gains started in 1933 after several pieces of legislature, which saved banks, plantations, and farmers. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) proposed an important, and controversial, amendment to the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. It insisted that language from the pro-labor Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 be added to the simple declaration of the right to collective bargaining. The setbacks the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) suffered in Little Steel and textiles in the latter half of 1937, and in Congress from 1938 to 1940, despite the gains made by the AFL, by 1940 the amendment had stalled. WWII created a rapid buildup within the industrial complex, creating more work for women and African Americans, overshadowing the union’s inability to project their power

The Winnipeg General Strike The year of 1919 has been one of the most influential years of strikes

Labor unions have existed in one way or another since the birth of our country in 1776. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. From the start of our Nation there were a few unions organized unions in a scattered fashion, but many were disbanded after they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers and shoemakers briefly unionized in Philadelphia and New York City in 1778 to conduct the first recorded strike for higher wages. Three years later in 1971 the first successful strike happened, when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a ten-hour workday. This caused the need for skilled and unskilled laborers to skyrocket during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and also got the ball rolling with Labor unions. At this point in our Country, there had been nothing done yet for workers’ rights, conditions, pay, and so on. People at this time saw that they could come together and do something to make their lives better for themselves and their families. Many of these dates were important in shaping our country’s labor policies into what they are today. In 1847 New Hampshire enacts as the first state to enforce a 10-hour workday law. In 1909 the International Ladies’ Garment workers’ Union calls a strike in New York, demanding a 20-percent raise and a 52-hour workweek. Within two days, more than 20,000 workers from 500 factories walk off the job. This largely successful uprising

Unions first came about with the realization that workers were being treated unfairly, worked in

adamantly opposed any recognition of the union. Thus, the union members decided to strike over wages, safety

The main factor contributing to the failure of labor unions was choices the unions made in their actions. Two newspapers called The Alarm, and The Arbeiter-Zeitung both published articles in 1886. In the article The Arbeiter-Zeitung it says “To arms!” “To arms!”. (Schwab). This showed that the workers needed to stand up for what they wanted, even if it meant becoming truculent. This fortifies that the failure of the labor unions was coming from their ideas and tactics. Violence was never necessary; they could have went about it in a much different manner that was more placid. Next is a piece of evidence that was published in the New York Times on July 08, 1892. In the document it states that it was “names of those killed yesterday” (New York Times). It was a list that was