A. Ross McCormack's Analysis: Immigration and Labor in Canada

This assignment provides answers to reading questions based on A. Ross McCormack's work, "Wobblies and Blanketstiffs: The Constituency of the IWW in Western Canada." It delves into the life, work, and background of typical "blanketstiffs," who were often unskilled male immigrants seeking employment in Canada. The assignment includes a detailed chart outlining various ethnicities employed in Canada's resource industries and transportation infrastructure, along with factors that led to the decline in their employment. It further explores why unassimilated immigrants were preferred for unskilled labor, the distribution networks used to place these workers, and the exploitation they faced. The assignment also addresses the lack of government action against corrupt labor practices, the ethnic heterogeneity among workers, and the functional segregation and stratification in labor camps. Living and working conditions are described as hostile, leading some workers to flee exploitation. The annual cycle of a blanket-stiff is outlined, and the role and opposition faced by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), also known as Wobblies, are examined. The assignment concludes by highlighting the Wobblies' platform of unity among all workers and the challenges they faced from employers and authorities.

Running Head: IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
1
Student Name
Institution Name
Immigration in Canada

IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
2
Immigration in Canada
QUESTION 1
A typical blanket-stiff was usually an unskilled male who had migrated from a foreign
nation to seek employment in Canada. These men often moved from one place to the other
carrying their belongings in a blanket on their back. This is the main reason why they were called
the blanket-stiffs. Their work was to provide labor to labor-intensive companies in Canada.
QUESTION 2
Nationality Time period during which they
were main low-status workers
and reasons recruited
Factors that prevented
continuation of their
recruitment
Chinese 19th century
Recruited to build railway and
other low occupation
Immigration policies
Irish 19th century
Recruited to build railway and
other low occupation
Political instability
British/Welsh 1897
They began the construction of
CPR’s line
They were violent and vociferous
and they expected high wage
which was impossible.
Eastern
European (Slavs,
Russian, Austro-
Hungarian, etc.)
1907
They were recruited to build the
under way railway and were
considered obedient and
industrious.
They were considered unreliable
and agents feared that they might
leave during harvest season.
Italian (also
called
Mediterranean)
1901
They were reliable and mobile
therefore they could not integrate
in the Anglo-Canadian society
and unions.
Unskilled labor forces who were
not assimilated were available in
large numbers.

IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
3
QUESTION 3
Unskilled laborers were recruited from the immigrants who were not assimilated because
the executive in railway constructions and contractors considered them obedient and industrious.
Therefore, they could do heavy work at a cheaper grade. Another reason why employers
preferred unassimilated immigrants was because they were considered superior to the
Mediterranean people.
QUESTION 4
Once in Canada, they were distributed by the infamous group in commercial network.
The network was responsible of linking home villages to the Canadian employment agencies.
QUESTION 5
The workers were mostly cheated and defrauded. This was done through the “sharks” that
claimed to “sell” employment to the immigrants. Immigrants would be given a contract but upon
reaching, they would be given different tasks. Another way in which immigrants were cheated
was not getting a refund if they were sent out. The foremen and agency also discharged the
immigrants in order to pay member of their gang who had given them commission before getting
the job.
QUESTION 6
Corruption was common among ‘paradones’ but the government did not take action
against them. This is because they were responsible of disciplining the workers they brought to
work in Canada. The ‘paradones’ also, provided food, organized for steamship tickets and
assured people of getting jobs (McCormack, 1985, p. 104).

IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
4
QUESTION 7
There was also unethnic heterogeneity among the workers constructing rails. In camps,
they divided themselves into two different groups; one of the ‘white men’ and the other the
‘wops’. Missionary in the camp of British Colombia also claimed that the congregation had 80%
of foreigners. Edmund Bradwin also divided workers in Ontarion into different ethnic groups.
QUESTION 8
Segregation and stratification was functional in the camps. There were groups that
determined status and duties in the society and the jobs. The process was considered brutal.
QUESTION 9
The living and working conditions of the blanket-stiffs were hostile (Leier, 2013). Houses
were inadequate as they were only built for a short term since most of them worked on contracts.
The available bunk houses were built with logs and hay mattresses required payment
(McCormack, 1985, p.106). The houses were dark and had poor ventilation with only two
windows. To make the matters worse, they were infested by lice. The working environment was
worse as they faced real danger doing heavy construction jobs.
QUESTION 10
Most workers fled when to avoid exploitation at work place. The employers were forced
to exclude the defectors from the houses. Sometimes, they even got arrested and charged with
violation as magistrates supported contractors.

IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
5
QUESTION 11
The annual cycle of a blanket-stiff would start with spring where there was resumption in
construction (McCormack, 1985). It was followed by autumn where farmers looked for labor to
harvest and stiffs would go to wheat fields. Winter followed and some immigrants went to work
in the woods.
QUESTION 12
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was an organization created by AFL
affiliates known as wobblies. It was an industrial union that used propaganda hoping to exploit
the workers (Heron, 2012).
QUESTION 13
Sympathizers of this union carried red cards to show their membership (Francis, 2011).
They demanded rights to free speech.
QUESTION 14
The best part of wobblies platform was unity among all workers regardless of their ethnic
group. They had to fight together against the employing class (Fortun & Roll, 2018).
QUESTION 15
Around 1911; IWW received great opposition from employers. Police were allowed to
harass the leaders of the union. The vice president of Northern Construction Company went
ahead to convince the PM that wobblies were the hindrance to railway construction.

IMMIGRATION IN CANADA
6
References
Fortun, B. M., & Roll, J. (2018). Unholy Gospel. retrieved from https://
www.history.columbia.edu
Francis, D. (2011). Seeing Reds: The Red Scare of 1918-1919: Canada s First War on Terror.
arsenal pulp press.
Heron, C. (2012). The Canadian labour movement: A short history. James Lorimer & Company.
Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.). (2019). Retrieved from https://www.u-s-
history.com/pages/h1050.html
Leier, M. (2013). Rebel Life: The Life and Times of Robert Gosden, Revolutionary, Mystic,
Labour Spy. New Star Books.
McCormack, A. R. (1985). Wobblies and Blanketstiffs: the Constituency of the IWW in Western
Canada. Lectures in Canadian Labour and Working-Class History, 101-114.