EDITORIAL: Hamilton Tigers' battle similar to what faces workers today

By Chris Charlton, Member of Parliament

As a huge fan of Colwyn Beynon's columns in this newspaper, and the work of the Hamilton Historical Board and the Hamilton Mountain Heritage Society in general, I thought my summer column might be a good time to add a historical note to a current event.

Without a doubt, the biggest news story this spring was the possibility that an NHL team might come to Hamilton. Whether it merited such dominance at a time when thousands of workers are losing their jobs and food banks are faced with record demand is a matter for editorial debate.

The fact remains Jim Balsillie's bid to bring the NHL to Hamilton was the talk of the town.

So what is it about hockey and this city, which is often cited as the birthplace of the Canadian labour movement, that evokes such a passionate response? Perhaps it's that the two have historically gone hand in hand.

There probably aren't many Hamiltonians today who remember that the very first player strike in NHL history took place in our hometown. The year was 1925. The Hamilton Tigers were poised to win the Stanley Cup. Future hall of famer Billy Burch teamed with wingers Shorty and Red Green to form an unstoppable line, making the Tigers a Cup favorite.

But, just a year earlier, the NHL had expanded both the league and the season, as well as increasing the playoff format. Clubs throughout the league acknowledged the additional workload that this meant for players, and raised their salaries as well as paying them bonuses.
But not Hamilton's general manager, Percy Thompson.

Negotiations between the players and management broke down.

The NHL president threatened to suspend the players. The players threatened to never skate again.

The playoffs came and went, and Victoria of the Western Hockey League won the Stanley Cup.

Hamilton ownership understood the players' resolve and sold the club for $75,000 to Bill Dwyer, who made his fortune in bootleg whisky.
The team became the New York Americans. Billy Burch got a three-year deal for $25,000 and Shorty Green received a 40 per cent pay raise. But neither man ever came close to the Cup again.

As Shorty Green put it, "Professional hockey is a money-making affair. The promoters are in the game for what they can make out of it and the players wouldn't be in the game if they didn't look at matters in the same light."

Sound familiar? It should to anyone who has ever fought for decent work for decent pay. And in Hamilton that number is legion.

Originally published in the Hamilton Mountain News