Union Maids in Action: The 1918 Steam Laundry Strike, Podcast Ep. 19
Working conditions for women in the early 20th century were already grim, but the Spanish Flu epidemic added another frightening layer. Against this backdrop, women laundry workers led a five-month long strike. In this episode of the On the Line podcast, we journey back to 1918 Vancouver and hear an eyewitness account from a participant of the Steam Laundry Strike.
Publication date: January 30, 2023
Podcast length: 22:06
Hosted by: Rod Mickleburgh
Research and writing by: Patricia Wejr and Rod Mickleburgh
Production by: John Mabbott
We often hear about the intense class struggles and political action of the early 20th century from the perspective of the hard-labouring men in forestry, fishing, and mining. While women in the paid workforce were fewer in number, they were no less committed to joining unions and forming their own. Toiling long hours in small scattered workplaces made organizing difficult, but these women had the resilience and grit to stand their ground. The strike by Vancouver laundry workers, most of whom were women, is one example.
Ellen Goode, born in 1899, was interviewed by Sara Diamond in 1979. We hear from this remarkable interview, where Ellen recounts the challenging conditions, including long hours, low pay, deaths and injuries, and the prevalent fear among workers that if they complained, they would simply be replaced. With the help of legendary labour leaders Victor Midgeley and Helena Gutteridge, laundry workers across the city organized into Local 37 of the International Laundry Workers Union in 1918.
Contract negotiations went nowhere. The union wanted a weekly wage of $13.95, and the employers returned with an ultimatum: quit the union or lose your jobs. The workers voted to strike, and picket lines went up the next day. The next five months were full of direct action, retaliation, violence, intimidation, solidarity, and resilience. The laundries tried to lure Chinese laundry workers in as scabs but no one crossed the picket line. Steam engineers struck in sympathy. Longshore workers popped the tires of the employer thugs who forced striking women into cars to drive them away from the picket line.
The provincial government eventually intervened and a tentative agreement was reached on wages, although only one laundry agreed to the unions’ demand for a closed shop. Eighty strikers were blacklisted from the trade, but with a plea from Helena Gutteridge, the labour movement stepped up and provided incomes for the workers until they could find new employment.
While the strike was ultimately lost, significant gains were made. Wages increased, but moreover, women started to see themselves as part of the labour movement. The song “Union Maid” by Pete Seeger put it this way: “What matter that the strike was lost? The fighting is further on.”
The BC Labour Heritage Centre offers free teaching materials for high school classrooms on this very strike, underscoring its historical significance.