At War with the Machine: Canadian Workers' Resistance to Taylorism in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

This essay looks at the ways Frederick Winslow Taylor’s modern theories of scientific management (Taylorism) transformed Canadian workplaces in the early 20th century. In particular, it shows how Taylorism negatively impacted Canadian workers’ lives,and examines the various ways that workers consequently resisted Taylorist methods. The essay argues that although workers were unable to stop the widespread implementation of Taylorism in Canadian workplaces, their resistance to Taylorism still played an important role in unionist and radical political movements that gradually gained important concessions for Canadian workers during the first half of the 20th century. Additionally, the essay argues that resistance was significant as an outlet for workers to retain bodily autonomy in work environments that increasingly aimed to make workers more automated. Ultimately, the essay highlights important ways that the Canadian working classes have exercised agency via solidarity and perseverance.