1850-1890: Industrializing Canada: Essay Proposal
1850-1890: Industrializing Canada: Essay Proposal
Thesis:
Between 1850 and 1890, the Canadian labor force experienced numerous changes including the formation of unions. Labor unions were formed for different reasons and between 1850 and 1890, different competing unions were formed to perform different purposes. Child labor also had a great influence on the Canadian industrial economy during the last half of the nineteenth century.
Regulate the work process by bargaining on the number of hours craftspeople should work
Negotiate on issues of wages.
Negotiate on the better working conditions and environment.
Knights of Labor Growth (Kealey, 2015; Rouillard, 2014)
Membership was not limited to sex or race.
Involved even unskilled workers who were denied membership to craft unions
Membership from different professions; therefore, expanded in small towns and villages.
Encouraged unity between skilled and unskilled employees; therefore, attracted many workers.
Opposed blacklists by employers, which attracted many employees working in industries.
Provided workers with a chance to air out political opinions, by providing a common bargaining body
Reason Craft Unions Opposed Knights of Labor (Canadian Museum of History).
Dispute as to which union would represent which employee group.
Knights experienced high organizing success; therefore, got members who were initially in craft unions
Knights of labor represented general employee issues; Craft unions represented the needs of specific employee groups; therefore, members ditched KOL.
Role of Child Labor in Canadian Industrial Economy
Promoted competition as children replaced adults in industries.
Promoted industrial economic development for industries as children received low wages.
Promoted increased apprenticeship; therefore, children gained skills at an early age.
Preliminary Reference List
Canadian Museum of History. (n.d.). The decline of the Knights. Retrieved from Canadian Museum of History: http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/labour/labh14e.shtml
Heron, C. (2014). Craft Unionism. Retrieved from Historica Canada: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/craft-unionism/
Kealey, G. S. (2015). Knights of Labor. Retrieved from Historica Canada: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/knights-of-labor/
Rouillard, J. (2014). Working Class History and The Rise Of Unions In Canada. Retrieved from West Kootenay Labor Council: https://westkootenaylabourcouncil.wordpress.com/canadian-labour/working-class-history-and-the-rise-of-unions-in-canada/
