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Throughout early 1900's the desired for unions became an issue throughout
Canada, and knowledgeable union organizers migrated to Saint John and other
Canadian cities. Strikes and lockouts became common as worker challenged the
management techniques of their employers. These lockouts created sever
hardships for workers in Saint John's workers in the north end at a time where
Canada was near economic depression. One of Saint John's worst riots was
between the Saint John Railway Company and its striking workers.
Street railway workers
were over worked, working a 10-hour day seven days a week. So in May 1914, a
group of railway men decided to organize Local No.663 of the Amalgamated
Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees. The Railway Company
responded to this by hiring a private detective to spy on the union leaders.
Within three weeks of hiring the private detective, they discharged Ramsey,
allegedly for leaving a car while on duty to go to a saloon and allowing the
motorman to proceed without him. On July 17 four more motormen and four
conductors were discharged allegedly for not stopping at the steam railway
crossing. After much angry but futile talk the union men voted for a strike.
About employees walked out on July 22, 1914. The Railway company continued to
operate some cars by using employees who refused to strike and by using
temporary employees. Meanwhile, the strikers organized an impromptu jitney bus
service, one of the first in Canada.
At Market Square the situation climaxed on July 24, 1914. An
angry, most of which contain union sympathizers crowd had collected, and as car
number 84 began to cross the square it was surrounded by the mob. The
passengers on the tram hastily disembarked and a shower of bricks an paving
stones soon smashed all the car's windows. Car number 71, which was close
behind, met the same fate as car number 84. When the police arrived, the mob
threw them into plate glass windows, and the hastily departed from the mob. The
mayor of Saint John, James Frink, called on the military. Then he read the Riot
Act at the mob, which threatened both the rioters and onlookers with the
possibility of life imprisonment. The mob listen to the mayor and was almost
ready to disperse when the calvary charged down King street with their
ceremonial swords out and wounded a few people. This angered the mob, and the
mob in turn, severely wound some of the men in the calvary.
The mob was now charged with energy.
They tied ropes around the street cars, dozens of men pull while others lifted
and with a mighty roar from the crowd the cars fell over; then the crowd then
set them on fire. When the firefighters came to put the fire out the crown
harassed them, but they succeeded to put it out. The crowd still had some
energy left and they began to stone the Railway Company's powerhouse that
supplied power to most of the city. Intimidated by the rioters the workers shut
down the running equipment and the crowd gave a big cheer as the lights went
out throughout the city. They then decided to attack one of the car barns, but
they did not succeed. A bombardment of buckshot met them . The thirty-five
private detectives from Boston and Montreal fired over the heads of the mob
whom the company had hired as strikebreakers. Their efforts thwarted, the
rioters broke away and went to their homes.
The situation could no longer continue so officials offered Ramsey a
"lifetime" position with the public works department. Ramsey accepted
the offer and resigned from the union. Thus he broke the deadlock between the
company, they then reinstated the other dismissed workers and recognized the
union. Trolley service returned to Saint John on July 25, and barely a week
later the street car strike was mostly forgotten. This was due to the
foreboding news bulletins they were receiving about the rapid deterioration of
the political situation in Europe.
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