Knights of work

History

Founded in 1868, this order took as a starting point the tradition of the operative Loge S, true combination of corporations and trade unions, which, with the Middle Ages in particular, had been used as framework of organization with various professions, like those of the building or construction.

This Order gathered, within a locality (however, more in the South of the the United States), all the workers, white and blacks (but neither Indians, nor the Chinese), women and men, Americans of stock and immigrants: skilled workers and not qualified, farm laborer, but also craftsmen, small shopkeeper, farmers and free lances, except notorious for lawyers, the bankers as all those which lived, in a way or of another, trade of alcohol.

In spite of a repression, as much legal than wild, immediate, the Order, undoubtedly because of its universalism and the probity of its members, remained very popular and developed quickly. A little everywhere, it initiated Local assemblies, authorities of organization of the members and management of the strikes, and organized working solidarity in the fights, but also daily newspaper (housing, health, help, etc) Moreover, it developed actions known as philanthropic and, in particular, of general training as well as professional. The rites of the ceremonies of initiation, the signs, the passwords, the seals, the symbols, etc were of maconnic invoice.

The Order developed quickly, in a striking down way and, with its apogee, in 1886, more 700 gathered; 000 members.

The ideology of the trade-union organization off differed from that of the American Federation Ploughing (AFL). In this direction, the purpose of Knights off Labor adopted a point of view much socially more committed and was principal to defend the human interests of the workers.

At that time, the legal jurisdiction of the trade unions did not exist. It thus remained about it with the employer and his good will, to recognize the legitimacy of the trade union in its organization. However, this decreased much their means of pressure.

Formed by Terence Powderly, the Knights of Work organize themselves. With their first stammerings, “Knigts off Labor” represents the name of a central trade-union in the form of secret society. In Quebec, this type of organization is described as “Union of kitchens”, because meet them between members were often done in the kitchens.

The dominating central trade-union of the time, the AFL does not like much to see the K.O.L gaining in popularity and settles, especially in the important urban centres, an inter-union competition. By no means desirable for the movement at the time, this affected of much the force of the means of pressure.

The inter-union competition comes especially owing to the fact that the two organizations had two different points of view when with their objectives. The AFL asserts the interests of the workers of trades only and not the whole of the workers. Thus, it only limits their actions to the claims near the employer, rejecting the political idea of lobby, as it was current to see it in Europe. Thus excluding from their movement, industrial workers and not syndicated. It should not be forgotten, that the founder of AFL, Samuel Gompers, is one holding of capitalism believing in his legitimacy. Thus the interests of the trade unionists are only economic. It is about a practice of a trade unionism of businesses.

The claims of the K.O.L are broad, and is made on all the levels spheres sociétale. They fight the Capitalisme literally. They assert a co-operative of workers by the introduction of a system of redistribution of the more equitable fruit of the workers. We speak then about a reforming trade unionism. They wish an implication of the State in the resolution of the conflicts in dead end (arbitration), a reform of education so giving the free access to information to the workers within their community as well as an access to the unionization for all the workers and not only that to the workers of trade.

The concrete achievements of this organization remain timid. However openings were notable, amongst other things, the week of 40h/sem. 8:00 /jour, the collective bargain, the official intervention in work-related conflict, a mode of remuneration based on a system of co-operation, prohibition with less than 15 years work etc

It is following the event to the Haymarket Square with Chicago, the May 4th 1886, that the movement lost much in popularity, to see even until disappearing.

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