Unionization in Canada
The Oxford English Dictionary defines unionization as
the process of becoming or causing to become part of an organization of workers
formed to protect and further their rights and interests. In the late 1800's
and the 1900's the Canadian unionization movement was in its infancy. Unions
had the ability to go on strike since the Trade Union's Act of 1872, however,
they had little legal standing otherwise, as they could be dealt with violently
by employers and the government who saw members of the labour movement as
leftist radicals and Bolshevists. This could be largely attributed to the
steady inflow of immigrants, who would accept lower wages while performing
the same functions, and the low rates of unionization amongst workers. Rates of
unionization increased substantially during the First World War, resulting
in increased power for labour and trade unions and giving birth to more
radical unionization and worker's rights movements. Workers campaigned
against the low wages, which had increased little since the lifting of the
Wartime Wage Freeze, high cost of living, high rate of inflation and dismal
working conditions. At the same time a second crisis unfolded as soldiers
returning from Europe found their old jobs occupied by immigrants. The
discontent of the labourers ultimately culminated in the Winnipeg General
Strike of 1919 and the formation of the socialist CCF party.
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The Nine-Hour Movement in Toronto in 1872.