"We who make up the Local Division today, owe very much to their foresight and courage, in forming and building this union. We of Division 107 have benefited much in these long 75 years. We have achieved our standard of today at the expense of many tireless and frustrating hours put in by the members before us. It has been a very long and hard road and we have many members to remember and give thanks to." Spoken sixty-eight years after the street railway strike of 1906, the 1974 Local 107 President Henry Austin, could have been directly thanking his predecessor, Mr. John Theaker, President of local 107 during the 1906 Hamilton street railway strike.
             Labour unions are formed on behalf of workers to ensure that their needs and interests are being addressed. These needs and interests usually are comprised of wages, working hours, and working conditions in general. As in the case of the Hamilton street railway employee's of 1906, workers will go on strike to ensure that their employer will recognize these unions during contract negotiations.
             The Hamilton street railway strike occurred, primarily because the management of the Hamilton street railway company would not recognize Local 107, by not honouring the terms of a joint-drafted contract. The strike lasted twenty-nine days, and was one of the most violent strikes in Hamilton history. The strike had both positive and negative effects on the workers directly involved. Positively, the workers acquired gains by the strike action. Negatively, the company took further action against the officers of the union. The strike had a lasting effect on the labour movement. Allan Studholme used the strike generated public support for workers, to successfully run as an independent working class candidate in Hamilton East.
             On April 5, 1899 Division 107 of the Amalgamated Association of the Street Railway and Motor Coach employees of America was organized. The first meeting was hel...