Hamilton Street Railway Strike

“We who make up the Local Division today, owe very much to their foresight and courage, in forming and building this union. We of Division 107 have benefited much in these long 75 years. We have achieved our standard of today at the expense of many tireless and frustrating hours put in by the members before us. It has been a very long and hard road and we have many members to remember and give thanks to.” Spoken sixty-eight years after the street railway strike of 1906, the 1974 Local 107 President Henry Austin, could have been directly thanking his predecessor, Mr. John Theaker, President of local 107 during the 1906 Hamilton street railway strike.

Labour unions are formed on behalf of workers to ensure that their needs and interests are being addressed. These needs and interests usually are comprised of wages, working hours, and working conditions in general. As in the case of the Hamilton street railway employee’s of 1906, workers will go on strike to ensure that their employer will recognize these unions during contract negotiations.

The Hamilton street railway strike occurred, primarily because the management of the Hamilton street railway company w

. . .
As a result of his increased public exposure, and the increasingly wide spread labour sympathies that arose from the strike, he was elected as an Independent Labour candidate in the 1906 provincial election. 1

“To the Strikers,”(a notice in the classified section) The Hamilton Spectator, 6 November 1906, p.

The Hamilton Gallery of Distinction, The Hamilton Public Library.

Alexander Fraser, A History of Ontario its Resources and Development (Toronto: The Canada History Company, 1907), 82. php?IndI=144&Year=1990>

Craig Heron, The Canadian Labour Movement A Short History (Toronto: James Lorimer & Company Ltd. Allan Studholme used the strike generated public support for workers, to successfully run as an independent working class candidate in Hamilton East. The manager informed the committee that he had no intention of complying with the agreement, nor would he make any terms other than those he had already proposed. The force consisted of mounted men of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and the Royal Canadian Dragoons and infantry of the Royal Canadian Regiment. The agreement was signed by both parties, however the management refused to honor the contract, resulting in the union to take a grievance to arbitration. The company refused to arbitrate until the workers threatened to strike.

Common topics in this essay:
Street Railway, Railway Company, Theaker President, Hamilton Spectator, Riot Act, Allan Studholmes, King James, October November, John Theaker, Allan Studholme, street railway, hamilton street, hamilton street railway, local 107, railway strike, street railway strike, street railway company, railway company, striking workers, riot act, division 107, company refused, john theaker, management hamilton street, street railway workers,

Approximate Word count = 2906
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)

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