THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
HOW DID PEOPLE RESPOND TO
THE CHALLENGES OF
INDUSTRIALIZATION?
As more goods were manufactured and sold in Canada, business
owners made higher profits. But the workers who produced the goods
did not benefit. Many working-class families suffered from low wages,
unemployment, poverty, and disease. These problems sparked a demand for
reforms to enable everyone to benefit from industrialization. The movement
to address these problems was called progressivism.
DEMANDING WORKERS’ RIGHTS
The growing economic gap between workers and business owners was a source
of conflict in the workplace. Workers demanded change, but owners wanted
to continue making large profits. Some people believed that the only way for
workers to improve their condition was to band together into organizations
called unions. Unions could apply pressure to employers while individual
workers could not. If individual workers refused to work overtime hours for no
pay, the employer could fire them. If union members went on strike (refused to
work) together, production and profit-making would come to a halt.
In 1872, the federal government passed the Trade Union Act, which
made unions legal in Canada. Trade unions were organizations that
working-class men in the same trade (such as cotton mills, breweries, or
steel manufacturers) could join to support each other. In practice, only
skilled workers could challenge employers through strike action. Unskilled
workers, many of them women and children, were excluded from most early
unions. Read the quotes in Figure 5.26 and Figure 5.27. They present two
different perspectives on trade unions: one represents the trade unions and
one represents the business owners. How does each of these groups view
the other?
progressivism a movement
in favour of gradual,
widespread change in
a society
trade union an association
of workers that tries to
improve working conditions
in a particular occupation
“[The mission of our journal is] to
Spread the Light; to expose the inequalities of
distribution by which the few are enriched at
the expense of the many.”
“The spirit of trades unionism
is strangling honest endeavor [effort], and the
hard-working, fearless thorough artisan [skilled
worker] of ten years ago is degenerating into
the shiftless, lazy, half-hearted fellow who ...
styles himself a knight of labor.”
— Labour Union
— Journal of Commerce
FIGURE 5.26 This was the goal of the Labour Union journal,
published on January 13, 1883. Analyze: Who are “the few” and
“the many” referred to in this quote?
156
UNIT 2: Canada’s Changing Society: 1890–1914
A different approach to unionization
was taken by the Knights of Labor in the
early 1880s. The organization was open
to all workers regardless of their skills.
It wanted to bring together all workers
in one big union, rather than have them
join separate unions according to their
trade. Like the trade unions, the Knights of
Labor wanted to raise wages and improve
working conditions. It also wanted laws to
protect workers’ rights and major reforms
to the economic system, including income
taxes and an eight-hour workday. Examine
Figure 5.28, which shows a Knights of Labor
parade on the streets of Hamilton. This was
one of the ways unionized workers tried
to inform people of their struggle and rally
others to join them. How effective do you
think a parade would be to promote the
goals of progressivism?
The Knights of Labor were one of the only unions in this time period to
include women. In 1884, Kate McVicar organized the first all-female local
assembly of the Knights of Labor in Canada.
Thousands of workers joined the Knights of Labor in Canada. Read the
view of Thomas Phillips Thompson, a member of the Knights of Labor,
in Figure 5.29. What was the goal of the Knights of Labor, according
to Thompson?
FIGURE 5.28 This photo from the
1880s shows a Knights of Labor
parade in Hamilton, Ontario.
Analyze: What does this photo tell
you about the popularity of this
organization at the time?
“The Knights of Labor taught their members to ‘dream of
what might be ... the beautiful ideal of universal democracy
and cooperation.’”
— Thomas Phillips Thompson, member of the Knights of Labor
FIGURE 5.29 These comments were made by Thompson, a member of the Knights of Labor,
in the Palladium of Labor, December 26, 1885. Analyze: Why would “universal democracy” be
important to the Knights of Labor?
FIGURE 5.27 This excerpt comes from a March 1891 article in the
Journal of Commerce. Analyze: What are the effects of unions
on workers, according to this business journal?
NEL
By the early 1900s, the trade union approach of separate unions for
separate trades prevailed in Canada. The Trades and Labour Congress, a
Canadian organization of trade unions, eventually banned the Knights of
Labor from its membership in 1902. As the most powerful political force
in Canadian labour, the Trades and Labour Congress pushed for better
working conditions. It did not, however, push for the kind of sweeping
changes to the economic system that the Knights of Labor had demanded.
NEL
Why was banning
the Knights of Labor
significant for the union
movement?
CHAPTER 5: Canada’s Industrial Age: 1890–1905
157
THE LONDON STREETCAR STRIKE
How do you
think the unionized
workers felt about the
strikebreakers?
In 1899, streetcar workers in London, Ontario, walked off the job. The
79 strikers refused to work until their American employer, Henry Everett,
raised their wages and shortened their hours. Everett refused to be
pressured by the unionized workers. Instead, he locked all of the employees
out. He replaced them with new, non-unionized employees known as
strikebreakers. Read the quote from an article in the London Advertiser in
Figure 5.30. What does this article suggest is the greater issue represented
by the streetcar workers’ strike?
— Amalgamated
Association of Street
Railway Employees
“London streetcar workers are acting ‘in defence of our
rights and manhood to exercise the privileges of British subjects.…’ The
whole question at issue is, shall Canadians have the right to belong to a
lawful association, or shall they stand as mere individuals, to be crushed
by a soulless corporation?”
— London Advertiser
FIGURE 5.30 This quote is from an article published in the London Advertiser on May 23, 1899.
Analyze: What do you think is the article’s intention in using the words “soulless corporation”?
boycott a form of protest in
which people refuse to buy
the goods or services
of a business
“Our front
[union] is unbroken.
Our men have hardly
the necessities of life
but having raised the
banner of organized
labour, we consider no
sacrifice too great to
carry it on to victory.”
The conflict in London escalated in the summer of 1899 as Londoners
stood behind the unionized workers in support of their goals. Thousands of
people showed up at rallies and protests. They also supported the unionized
workers by refusing to use the streetcar service. This type of financial
punishment of a business is known as a boycott. When the boycotts
proved unsuccessful in getting Everett to
negotiate, people turned to violent action.
Large crowds gathered and riots broke out.
Men and women threw rocks at streetcars
driven by strikebreakers, and abandoned
streetcars were ransacked and burned.
Despite all of this, Everett still refused to
meet union terms.
Troops were brought in to restore
order. Examine Figure 5.31, which shows
Canadian militia troops sent to London,
Ontario, during the riots. How do you think
the use of armed troops to patrol the streets
would affect public opinion of the strikers
and their employer?
FIGURE 5.32 This statement from
the Amalgamated Association of
Street Railway Employees was
published in Industrial Banner
magazine in 1899. Analyze: What
sacrifices do you think the workers
were making by going on strike?
FIGURE 5.33 This is a series of
illustrations of the 1903 Montréal
streetcar strike. Analyze: What
evidence do you see in these
illustrations of public support for
the strikers?
The union representing the London streetcar workers was the
Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees. Read the statement
from this union in Figure 5.32. The statement was made during the London
streetcar strike in 1899. What does this reveal about the determination of
the railway employees?
The London streetcar workers were ultimately unsuccessful in forcing
Everett to meet their demands. Eventually, Londoners began taking the
streetcars again. Most strikers were replaced with non-unionized workers
and had to find other jobs.
FURTHER STRIKES ACROSS CANADA
Streetcar workers in other Canadian cities also fought for better working
conditions. Several cities tried to control these strikes by using the militia,
including Toronto in 1902, and Winnipeg and Hamilton in 1906. Examine
Figure 5.33. It shows the events of a streetcar workers’ strike in Montréal in
1903. What similarities can you see between these events and the London
strike of 1899?
As the number of strikes across the country grew, business owners
increased their pressure on governments. The business owners wanted to
stop unionization and strikes. However, when a provincial government sent
troops to end a strike, situations often got worse. For example, in 1900, the
government of Québec sent in the militia to stop 200 cotton mill workers in
Valleyfield, Québec, from striking. As a result, another 2500 workers walked
off the job to protest the government’s interference in the conflict.
FIGURE 5.31 This photo shows troops patrolling a
street in London, Ontario, during the streetcar strike
in 1899. Analyze: With so many troops present on
horseback, what mood does this photo convey about
London at the time?
158
UNIT 2: Canada’s Changing Society: 1890–1914
NEL
NEL
CHAPTER 5: Canada’s Industrial Age: 1890–1905
159
FOCUS ON
CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCE
All events have causes, which can be short term
or long term. Consider the case of child workers
in factories and mines in the 1800s. A long-term
cause of child labour was people’s attitudes at the
time. Children were expected to be productive and
contribute financially to the family. A short-term
cause was the low wages of working-class parents.
Events also have consequences that are short
term or long term. Returning to the case of child
workers, a short-term consequence was that
families were able to meet their daily needs and
survive. A long-term consequence was lifelong
illiteracy for many people because they did
not receive an education. Another long-term
consequence might have been physical disability
from workplace accidents.
Some of the consequences of an event are
intended. Other consequences are unintended.
For example, the intended consequence of a
strike could be higher wages for the workers.
An unintended consequence might be that the
business owner raises the price of the product in
order to pay for the wage increase.
When you think about the causes and
consequences of a historical event, you can ask
the following questions:
• What were the causes of the event?
• Who were the people who influenced
the event?
• What were the social, political, or economic
conditions that influenced the event?
• What were the ideas and beliefs that
influenced the event?
• What were the short-term consequences of
the event?
• What were the long-term consequences of
the event?
• What were the intended and unintended
consequences of the event?
160
UNIT 2: Canada’s Changing Society: 1890–1914
CASE STUDY: THE MAGOG STRIKE
On July 27, 1900, about 400 unskilled workers at
the Dominion Cotton Mill in Magog, Québec, went
on strike. The striking workers shut down the mill
for eight days as they tried to negotiate with their
employer. However, they did not have a union, and
their actions were not supported by the skilled
workers at the mill.
Beginning in the mid-1800s, a growing number
of workers were speaking out against poor working
conditions in Canadian industries. These workers
risked losing their jobs, being arrested, or being
injured or even killed. The risk of speaking out was
particularly great for unskilled labourers because
they could be so easily replaced.
The workers at the Dominion Cotton Mill had
problems similar to those of other workers in the
industrial age. Work conditions and pay were poor,
workdays were long, and the work was tedious and
sometimes dangerous. At Magog, workers were
also concerned that changes at the factory had
reduced the amount of money they could make.
Read Figure 5.34. What does this excerpt tell you
about the causes of the strike?
“There has been a smouldering
feeling of discontent among a certain portion
of the employees for some time past, they
[claim] that they are not receiving proper
treatment at the hands of some of the bosses.
When the pay day was changed from Friday
to Monday it gave those who were dissatisfied
[unhappy] an opportunity to air their
grievances [complaints].”
— Sherbrooke Examiner
FIGURE 5.34 This is an excerpt from a newspaper article
that appeared in the Sherbrooke Examiner on July 30, 1900.
Analyze: What language in this quote tells you that there was
more than one cause for the Magog strike?
NEL
The strikers cut off the mill’s water supply so the
skilled workers could not work, either. In response,
the company asked the government to send the
local militia to break up the strike. Figure 5.35
shows the militia gathering outside the mill. During
a clash between the militia and workers, a company
manager shot at and wounded a worker. Some
strikers were arrested and others lost their jobs. In
the end, the workers made no gains because the
company refused to meet their demands. However,
the strike at Magog occurred at a time of growing
labour unrest. These early strikes led to increasing
support for organized labour. Québec textile
mill workers formed the Canadian Federation of
Textile Workers in 1906. There was also increased
cooperation between different labour groups.
NEL
FIGURE 5.35 The militia gathering outside the Dominion
Cotton Mill at Magog. Analyze: What effect do you think the
militia’s presence might have had on the strikers?
TRY IT
1.Create a table listing the causes and
consequences of the strike at the Dominion
Cotton Mill. Identify each cause and each
consequence as long term or short term.
2. Review the list of consequences. Identify
whether each was intended or unintended,
from the strikers’ point of view.
CHAPTER 5: Canada’s Industrial Age: 1890–1905
161
DEMANDING RIGHTS OUTSIDE
OF THE WORKPLACE
Improving wages and conditions for industrial workers was
not the only issue that caused people to take action during
this period. Sometimes issues overlapped with each other
and different organizations cooperated to change Canadian
society. Read Figure 5.36. It is an excerpt from an article in
the Labor Advocate, published in Toronto in 1890. According
to the article, what further action is needed to respond to
the challenges of industrialization?
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
“The cause of woman suffrage
[women’s right to vote] is intimately
allied with that of Labor Reform.
Manhood suffrage [men’s right to vote]
has bettered the industrial position
of the workers. Woman, without the
protection of the ballot, suffers against
the discrimination of her sex and is
forced to take lower wages for the same
class of work for which men are better
paid.... The man who says that women
are not fit to vote because they are not
his equals, has no right to complain
when he is slighted or snubbed by some
wealthy snob because he is only
a workingman.”
By the 1890s, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
(WCTU) and other organizations had been campaigning for
women’s right to vote for more than a decade. The Dominion
Women’s Enfranchisement Association (DWEA) petitioned
Ontario Premier Oliver Mowat to ask him to introduce
— Labor Advocate
legislation to extend voting rights to women. He responded
that he would personally be in favour of the idea, but that
FIGURE 5.36 This is an excerpt from an article
there was not enough public support for it to succeed.
The WCTU and the DWEA organized a mock parliament published in the Labor Advocate on December 5, 1890.
Analyze: How does the article link the right to vote
in Toronto in 1896. This event was meant to imitate and
with better working conditions?
ridicule the workings of the Canadian government. The
evening featured various discussions by women about men’s
rights. In one mock scenario, women had the right to vote. The debate
was whether men should be given the same right to vote as women. Read
Figure 5.37. It lists two other scenarios debated by the mock parliament.
What do these statements tell you about the tone and intention of
the debate?
“• an act to prevent men from wearing long stockings,
knickerbockers [shorts], and roundabout coats [a short jacket with a
wide collar] when bicycling
• a measure to provide for the ringing of a curfew bell at ten o’clock
each evening of the week, warning all men off the streets unless
accompanied by their wives”
Some people in Canada
were opposed to children
working in factories in harsh
conditions. They were also
concerned about children
who were neglected or
abandoned by their parents.
They believed that children
should be protected.
John Joseph Kelso was
a reporter for a Toronto
newspaper and an advocate
for children’s rights. In 1887,
he wrote a series of articles
about neglected children
in the city. He believed that
children who were on the streets instead of in school would eventually turn
to crime. Kelso helped to found the Toronto Children’s Aid Society in 1891.
The organization’s original motto was, “It is less expensive to save children
than to punish criminals.” Examine Figure 5.38. It is an illustration from a
book by Kelso on children’s rights. How does Kelso depict the situations of
many children living in Toronto?
Due in part to Kelso’s efforts, the Ontario provincial government passed a
new children’s protection act in 1893. It was known as the Children’s Charter.
It protected children from abandonment, mistreatment, and neglect. The
government appointed Kelso to the new post of superintendent of neglected
and dependent children. In this position, he established 56 children’s aid
societies in communities throughout Ontario over the next 15 years. He
also helped provincial governments in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and
British Columbia to set up child protection laws and programs.
Kelso was also a founder of the Toronto Fresh Air Fund in 1888. This
organization raised money to send poor children to the country for a break
from the heat and filth of summer in the city. It was so successful that it
inspired similar efforts in Great Britain.
FIGURE 5.38 This illustration
was published in 1911 in Kelso’s
Early History of the Humane
and Children’s Aid Movement
in Ontario, 1886–1893. Analyze:
How does this illustration try to
persuade the reader of the need to
protect children?
How significant
do you think the
changes introduced by
Kelso are to children in
Canada today?
— Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
CHECK-IN
FIGURE 5.37 These are two of the proposed laws that were debated by the WCTU at the
Toronto mock parliament in 1896. Analyze: Why do you think the women who organized the
mock parliament chose scenarios such as these to debate?
1. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE How were trade unions
significant to the working class in Canada?
Despite these efforts, it would be another 20 years before women received
the right to vote in Ontario provincial elections. It took even longer in most
other provinces. Why do you think it took so long for Canadian women to
obtain the right to vote?
162
UNIT 2: Canada’s Changing Society: 1890–1914
2. INTERPRET AND ANALYZE Looking back over the
sources in this section, is there any pattern to the
conflicts and their causes in this period?
NEL
NEL
3. EVALUATE AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS Considering the
different charities and associations that were
forming at this time, what values did Canadians
aim to protect in their society?
CHAPTER 5: Canada’s Industrial Age: 1890–1905
163