Vol. 27 (1991)
Articles

"That Indefinite Area of Toleration": Criminal Conspiracy and Trade Unions in Ontario, 1837-77

Eric Tucker
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

Published 1991-01-01

How to Cite

Tucker, E. (1991). "That Indefinite Area of Toleration": Criminal Conspiracy and Trade Unions in Ontario, 1837-77. Labour Le Travail, 27, 15–54. Retrieved from https://www.lltjournal.ca/index.php/llt/article/view/4792

Abstract

During the first three quarters of the nineteenth century, the question of whether trade unions in Ontario were criminal conspiracies under common law was never clearly determined. By examining the development and interaction of the legal and social zones of toleration we can illuminate how law was shaped by and shaped early struggles between workers and employers. The statutory reforms of 1872 clearly defined a narrow zone of legal toleration in which trade unions were accepted as labour market organizations while the means they could to pursue their objectives were restricted. The contours of industrial legality which began to emerge during this period remain a salient feature of current labour law. Resume La question de savoir si les syndicats ouvriers en Ontario étaient coupables de complots criminels suivant le droit commun ne fut jamais vraiment résolue au cours des trois premiers quarts du dis-neuvième siècle. En examinant le développement de zones de tolérance légale et sociale et de leurs influences réciproques, il est possible d'illustrer comment sont inextricables la formulation de la loi et les luttes entre ouvriers et patrons. Les réformes statutaires de 1872 délimitèrent clairement une étroite zone de tolérance légale qui permit aux syndicats de jouer un rôle légitime sur le marché du travail tout en restreignant les moyens admissibles à la poursuite de leurs objectifs. Les limites de la légalité industrielle qui se dessinent en cette période demeurent toujours en trait saillant de la législation du travail.