Le mouvement politique ouvrier de Montréal (1883-1929) History of Labour in Politics in Montreal (1883-1929)

Sommaire

Comment à la fin du siècle dernier a germé dans l'esprit des travailleurs montréalais l'idée d'avoir un parti politique ouvrier ? Après sa fondation, quelle a été l'expérience de ce parti dans sa participation aux luttes électorales, depuis 1904 à 1929, date à laquelle se termine cette étude. L'auteur, ancien président de la C.T.C.C, qui a été personnellement mêlé à certains de ces événements indique aussi quels rapports se développèrent entre le parti ouvrier et les unions ouvrières durant la même période.

Summary

The first labour candidate in politics appeared in 1883 for a seat in the Federal parliament. Independent labour candidate, Mr. Adélard Gravel, painter, was defeated by L. O. David, Liberal.

Five years later, a typographer by the name of Lépine, a Conservative, defeated the former in the St. Louis riding for the Federal. In 1889, the bricklayer, Jos. Béland was elected in the district of Ste-Marie for the Provincial. The Knights of Labor helped with the election of these two workers who were members of that organization.

At this time, a Central Council of Trades and Labour in Montreal was grouping together the delegates of the Knights of Labor and the Labour Unions. The Knights, who were drawn mainly from the liberal professions, followed particularly political aims but the two defeats mentioned above were not long in causing a rupture between the two groups.

The unions organized on their side in 1897, the "Council of Federated Trades" affiliated with the American Federation of Labour. Following the latter policy, the unions kept out of all partisan political action up to 1908.

Thus in 1900, the Council refused to endorse the candidature of its president, Fridolin Roberge, in the district of Ste-Marie against Israel Tarte, who was elected.

However, a small group, led by Mr. J. A. Rodier, a typographer, aspired to found a labour party, independent of the union. The party was founded in 1904, The principal directors of the Council of Federated Trades joined it with the exception of Mr. Joseph Ainey. La Presse, the French newspaper, encouraged the workers to belong to the Labour party.

The constitution of the Labour party followed that of the Independent Labour Party of England "Combat and policy against the interests of the workers and society and improve the present economic system by way of a social and corporative policy consistent with the common interests and the welfare of the whole country", was declared to be the general aim of the new Party. This was certainly a declaration with a strong tendency towards State socialism.

The same year as it was founded, the Labour Party presented two candidates for the Provincial elections: Mr. Alphonse Verville in Hochelaga and Mr. Achille Latreille in St. Louis. Both lost their deposit.

Two well-known socialists then joined the Labour Party, Mr. Albert St. Martin, official Court stenographer and Gustave Francq, typographer.

On October 15, 1904, a delegation from France, after an educational trip to the United States, was received in Montreal, at a public meeting arranged on the spur of the moment, the same evening. Four members of the delegation, out of 10 representatives of different French labour organizations, threw at the audience, composed mainly of union members, socialists and a few free-masons, strange and fiery words in regard to the universal community of interest of international socialism, on the orientation of trade unions toward the form of producers' unions and on the necessity of preparing the workers for the social transformation "sudden and spontaneous" etc. It was to be noted in particular the impudent abuse against the clergy and the religious orders that one among them permitted himself, and the meeting which finally closed by the singing of the "International" of which the printed words had been distributed to all the audience.

This meeting did not fail to increase in certain labour circles of Montreal, for years after, the sentiment of religious distrust and class spirit which already existed there.

In 1908, the Labour Party, presented two candidates: the first, Alphonse Verville, was successful in a complementary Federal election which took place in the Spring. Alphonse Verville was at that time President of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada, a position he occupied for a year. Mr. Verville saw after this his Federal mandate renewed three consecutive times. The second candidate was Mr. Jos. Ainey in the general elections in the Fall. He was defeated in the district of Ste. Marie. In presenting himself, Mr. Ainey reversed his former position of opposition to direct political action.

In 1907, the Labour Party and the Trades and Labour Council welcomed to the Monument National, Mr. Keir Hardie, socialist leader of the Labour Party of England. For two hours, Keir Hardie unfolded the plan of combining "tirade unionism" with socialism in the political field.

A few months later at the Provincial elections, the Party presented two candidates in Hochelaga and St. Jacques. These were Messrs. Gustave Francq and Albert St. Martin, who both lost their deposits. Shortly after, the Party's constitution was amended in such a way as to permit union to become affiliated as a unit. Before that the union members had to join the Party individually. For its part, the Trades and Labour Council also changed its constitution to pledge the union delegates to conform to both the Council's constitution and that of the Party and to support the latter's programme. However, in 1913, the engagement regarding the Labour Party was done away with.

In 1910, Mr. Ainey was elected to the Board of Control of Montreal with the particular support of the Citizens' Committee.

In the general elections of 1911, Mr. J.O. Massé, machinist, President of the Trades and Labour Council ignored this rule in presenting himself in Ste. Marie. He was defeated. However, disorder reigned in die Council. The following year, three candidates of the Council and of the Party, Messrs. G. R. Brunet, pressman, Narcisse Arcand and David Giroux were defeated; the first two in the Provincial and the latter in the Municipal.

In 1913, under the tide of "A Dream", Mr. Gustave Franco, in the Labour Day programme, wrote an article in which he saw himself, in the rather distant future, the day after an election which had sent to Parliament quite a considerable number of Labour Party members. Result, he said, which has not been attained without "destroying prejudices, upsetting constitutions, battling our own members..." in order that the light be stronger than he methods of those who wish to maintain the people in ignorance, etc."

After the publication of this article, dissension appeared in the ranks of the Labour Party, the Trades and Labour Council eliminated from its constitution the obligation which bound the delegates of the Council to the Labour Party.

In 1916, the many candidates presented for Aldermen by the Labour Party and by Federation of Municipal Clubs, founded shortly before, were ruthlessly defeated.

The year 1916 marked the start of the breaking-up of the political labour movement in Montreal. However in die month of September, 1917, the Trades And Labour Congress of Canada decided on the formation of a National Labour Party and recommended to the union members to found one in each Province. In fact, a few weeks later, the Labour Party and the Trades Council of Montreal, held a Provincial labour conference. The immediate founding of a Provincial section of the National Labour Party was decided upon. The organizations to belong were labour unions, workers' clubs, cooperative agricultural societies, socialist and fabian organizations".

Under the protection of the new Provincial Party, two candidates were elected in 1919; Messrs. Aurèle Lacombe, tramway employee, and Dollard Laurendeau, wagon-maker. On the other hand, Alfred Mathieu was defeated and the following year, Alphetus Mathieu was also defeated in St. Jacques for the Federal.

In 1921, on the occasion of partial elections in the Province, the Trades and Labour Council acting alone, presented four candidates: Messrs. Cyriac Gauthier, Zoël Tardif, Alfred Mathieu and Jos. Gauthier; only the latter was elected in Ste. Marie.

In the Provincial elections of 1923 again acting alone, the Trades Council presented five candidates who were all defeated: Messrs. Aurèle Lacombe, Dollard Laurendeau, Narcisse Arcand, Jos. Gauthier and Alfred Mathieu.

A few years later the Trades Council definitely separated itself from the Labour Party. Such has been the experience of "International" unionism in Montreal during forty years in the field of parliamentary political action.