Last night I went to see a play about the Labour movement here in Toronto – specifically about the 1872 printers’ strike. It was called “NINE HOURS NOW! The Battle for a Shorter Working Day”. The play was put on by the Toronto Worker’s Theatre Group, and we watched it at a Steelworkers Union building. I found out about the play because it was written by my friend, retired history professor Craig Herron. While the performances were, well, amateur, the content of the play was really interesting.
In 1872 the industrial revolution was coming to Toronto, with big machines displacing skilled workers and suppressing salaries in the clothing and metal-working industries. Men worked 10 hour days, 6 days a week. Women who worked were paid less and had home duties on top of that. Employer/employee relations were governed by Master & Servant Laws, which included the possibility of criminal prosecution if an employee disobeyed their boss. And yes, the bosses were referred to as “Masters” commonly.
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