The reasons for the Vancouver Island Coal Miners’ Strike demonstrate that the miners’ had rightful concerns that warranted going on strike. The drive to unionize in order to gain more rights, wages, and address safety concerns caused agitation within the miner workforce, which cumulated into the desire to strike. Women joined the drive to improve conditions for their male relatives and community members so that they would make enough money to support their families. Chinese workers were made to work for much lower pay than Canadian miners, and supported the strike although they were often employed as strikebreakers. The 1912 strike came from years of grievances and failures of the mining companies to meet the miners’ demands. Mottishaw’s unjust dismissal was what spurred the strike which had been anticipated for years. The reasons for the strike show the genuine issues labourers had with the mining companies, which caused distain between employers and employees and led to the 1912 strike.
Fire boss with gas indicating safety lamp/coal cutter with power driven chain to pull it around and feed it into the low ceiling seam. Coal. first it was electrically driven but later switched to compressed air, photograph, n.d., C160-039, Mining – General Photos Album, Cumberland Museum and Archives, Canada, https://www.flickr.com/photos/cumberlandmuseum/6814920484/in/album-72157629438536307.
