Page 15 - The 1923 Strike in Steel and the Miners' Sympathy Strike

ISSUE : Issue 22

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1979/6/1

Anyone who knows anything about military orders knows what would happen. 25 horses went to the right and 25 horses went to the left, and there was no chance in the world for anyone to escape except jump the fence and get away, some of them. They chased them for hours that day. Finally, some soldier hit a fellow in the side of the face with the side of his sabre. They all carried their sabres. The fellow fell down. No sooner did he fall than someone on our side threw a brick at this soldier and he dropped off his horse. Well, then the fat was in the fire' Emmerson Campbell; When we left that meet? ing back of the Italian church (at the Pi? er), the president of the union and I were left there together • that was Jack Macln? tyre and I. But when we came up from the church there were two horses right on each side of us. And Maclntyre, he was always quick tempered, and he said, "Look, I am going to grab (him)" • somebody would have been dead. I said, "No, Jack, don't." And the horse's nose right in my face till I got to the door here. He had the horse's nose right over my shoulder there, and him up there on top, you know, waving the bil? ly. I went in (at my house) and then the two of them followed Jack Maclntyre home. Post; STEEL STRIKERS REQUESTED TO VACATE CORPORATION HOUSES Families must move so that residences may be available for loyal workers of company. Already, three eviction notices have been served to strikers living in company houses on Victoria Road, but these three tenants are being expelled for causing an? noyance to some of their neighbours who are at work. Post; STEELWORKERS.VOTE UNCONDITIONALLY TO RETURN TO WORK, REALIZING THAT COMPANY HAS TRIUMPHED IN STRUGGLE (August 2, the steelworkers met and passed a resolution of capitulation;) Whereas machine guns, bayonets, and provincial po? lice have been used to cow us;...Whereas the press has also suppressed the news to further the unjust and untrue statements made of us;...Whereas our funds have been exhausted and some of our lower-paid mem? bers driven back to work;...Be it resolved, therefore, that we return to work, al? though none of our grievances are disposed of, but on the contrary, are carried on to the future, although many of our best mem? bers will probably, as in the past, be un? able to obtain work in Cape Breton and so must leave this country.... Post; RADICAL W0RKJ1EN, BEATEN AT EVERY AN? GLE IN FIGHT WITH BESCO, ASK FOR OLD POSI? TIONS The management of the Dominion Iron & Steel Company issues the following state? ment: .. .Because of the reduction in the orders on the books of the company at this time, it will not be possible to employ as many men on the plant as were employed before the strike. Emmerson Campbell; That was the time I was blacklisted. They wouldn't take me back on the plant. And every week that I was off I had my wages come to the door here from fellows on the plant. I was better off than when I was working. But that is some? thing, now, isn't it. Now I'm not blowing, but that is something. Every week the fel? lows would come up, "Here, Emmerson" • nineteen dollars I think I was getting at that time. They had paid dues into the un-' ion, collected it amongst themselves. Bernie Galloway; After that 1923 strike was over • the bosses took advantage of you, of all the workers, because they lost the strike. If you were active they'd give you the dirty end of the stick in any job there, they wouldn't give you justice. Give things to the fellows that weren't active. And blacklisting • Doane Curtis was a great labour leader in his day. He had to go to the States to get a job. There was Jack Maclntyre. He never went back on that plant. And a man named Murphy was very active • Jim Murphy • he had to go to the States • they wouldn't let him back on the plant. Paul MacNeil, he was black? listed. He was a young man. He went down to Gary, Indiana, and he was only down there about a year when he was killed in an explosion in the blast furnace. For a lot of men to get back on the plant you had to make a sweetheart agreement, which meant you weren't going to take any more active part. Emmerson; And when I did get back on the plant, they put me in purgatory • put me on the back shift for a year. Gave me a la? bour job in the billets. But I walked a- round with my shoulders back and my head up. And after all that time in purgatory, I'll have no trouble when I get to St. Peter's gate • I'll go straight in. Bernie; After the 1923 strike, there was no union. There was a union • a part of a

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