Robert Drummond and the Provincial Workmen's Association.
Begun at Springhill, Cumberland County, in 1879, the P.W.A. was led by Robert Drummond, the Grand Secretary for its first two decades. Preaching a programme of government intervention to improve working conditions and safety regulations in the mines, Drummond stressed political rights and sought to bring respectability to the miners. As reflected in its motto "Unity, Progress, Equality" the P.W.A. imitated contemporary fraternal orders and adapted their ceremonial observances for the organization and operation of the various lodges. Shown here is a badge which was worn by a member of the Ironside Lodge, No. 56, of the P.W.A. in New Aberdeen.
Considered something of a failure by more radical union activists, the P.W.A. pursued a policy of "Conservative loyalty" to the coal industry. It did have some substantial achievements: improved safety regulations and education for miners resulted from political pressure; the vote for miners was secured; and the miners' image was enhanced. In the final analysis, the leadership of the union was incapable of adjusting to the massive changes in the industry after the turn of the century. One of the first successful industrial unions organized in Canada, it played a decisive part in defining the roles of labour and government in the industrial process.
