Quintin O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Quintin O'Connor was a union leader
, activist
, and politician in colonial
Trinidad and Tobago
from the 1930s to the late 1950s. He played an essential role in the institutionalization of unionism in Trinidad
and was an early proponent of Trinidadian independence.
to Virginia and Henry O’Connor. Virginia was a homemaker and Henry was the manager of a firm of cocoa merchants. They had four children besides Quintin: Lucy, Phillip, Juan, and Willie. Along with his brothers, Quintin was among a small number of young men in Trinidad whose families could afford to provide them with a secondary education. He attended school at Saint Mary’s College
, though he left school without obtaining the Junior Cambridge Certificate.
O'Connor married Lucy Daphne Piper on July 31, 1943. During the couple’s fifteen year marriage, they had four children.
(TLP), attempted on numerous occasions prior to the riots of 1937 to pass a motion permitting his union to register under the Trade Union Ordinance of 1933, but each and every motion was defeated. He was opposed within the party by TLP leader A.A. Cipriani, who, in addition to believing that the 1933 Ordinance did not provide sufficient protection to union organizers, preferred agitation for political reform within the colony's Legislative Council to union activities, such as strikes and street protests. Following the riots, however, O'Connor led a group of clerks who broke from the TLP to form the Union of Shop Assistants and Clerks (USAC), which was officially registered on August 30, 1938. In 1939, O'Connor and other leaders of the USAC, organized the mainly female workers at the Renown shirt factory and won for them a 12.5 percent wage increase, and an eight hour workday among other concessions.
In 1940, O'Connor incorporated the USAC into the Federated Workers Trade Union
(FWTU), which he took over with Albert Gomes
. Though originally intent on exclusively organizing clerks, O'Connor and Gomes met with little success and decided to turn the FWTU into an omnibus union. They regularly received advice from the British Trade Union Congress (TUC). When the United States established a naval base in the Chaguaramas area, they secretly organized the base workers and eventually won recognition as the bargaining agents for the base employees. They also organized many government workers. In 1946, on behalf of government workers, they signed the FWTU's first collective bargaining agreement. This agreement was historic because, for the first time in Trinidad's history, wage increases were linked to increases in the cost of living index. In addition, the agreement was a sign from the government to other employers that collective bargaining was to become a normal part of labour relations in Trinidad.
In 1948, O’Connor became the secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Trades Union Congress (TTTUC), which briefly united the labour movement in Trinidad and Tobago and was able to enter into block agreements with employers. However, the TTTUC split up shortly after over the issue of international affiliation with the World Federation of Trade Unions
(WFTU).
As a result of O’Connor’s support for the WFTU, as well as his activities in the Caribbean Labour Congress (CLC), an organization dedicated to the independence of British Caribbean colonies and the spread of socialism, O’Connor was put on a list of leftists banned from traveling throughout the English-speaking Caribbean.
, CLR James, and Ralph De Boissiere
among others. In the 1940s, O'Connor joined New Dawn, a Marxist group dedicated to Trinidadian independence. He also "godfathered" the Why Not Discussion Group, which regularly denounced British colonial policy and became a "focal point for dissent."
In 1942, O’Connor joined the West Indian National Party
, which became a part of the United Front during the 1946 General Elections. During these elections, O’Connor campaigned on behalf of Gomes, who won a seat on the Legislative Council with over 65% of the vote. In the late 1940s, O’Connor broke with Gomes, who as a member of the Trinidad’s Executive Council abandoned his pro-union sympathies and left wing politics.
In the elections of 1950, O’Connor ran for a seat in the Legislative Council under the banner of the TTTUC, but lost with just over 30% of the vote. In April 1951, he was one of the founding members of the West Indian Independence Party (WIIP). Because of its left-wing views, the WIIP was investigated by a British Commission led by Fred Dalley of the British TUC. The Commission claimed that WIIP was "communist inspired and directed" and put pressure on O’Connor and others to quit the party. O’Connor refused to quit until he was ready to move on to other political endeavours. As a member of the Caribbean National Labour Party (CNLP), he contested a seat in Port of Spain North East, but lost with just under 9% of the vote.
O’Connor was also active on behalf of a number of social and political causes throughout his life. In 1941, he submitted a memorandum to the Franchise Committee in favour of universal adult suffrage
. In 1946, he spoke out against restrictions which banned panmen from playing their instruments in public places. He also spoke out against the racism experienced by blacks who worked on the US Naval Base in Chaguaramas. During the war, O’Connor successfully opposed the introduction of a Sedition Bill, which would have curtailed civil liberties for the duration of the war.
In 1948, O'Connor sat on the Constitutional Reform Committee and signed the majority report, which reformed Trinidad and Tobago's political system without granting responsible government. However, at a CLC conference, he later withdrew his signature and supported a resolution in favour of Patrick Solomon's minority report, which demanded immediate self-government.
on route to Lapeyrouse cemetery. Once at the cemetery, people stood graveside and gave panegyrics in his honour. Having observed the tributes paid to O’Connor at his funeral, then editor of “The Nation” and leading Caribbean
intellectual, CLR James, called for recognition of O’Connor as a great West Indian.
’s library is named in honour of him.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, and politician in colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
from the 1930s to the late 1950s. He played an essential role in the institutionalization of unionism in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and was an early proponent of Trinidadian independence.
Personal Life
Quintin O’Connor was born on October 31, 1908 in Port of SpainPort of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
to Virginia and Henry O’Connor. Virginia was a homemaker and Henry was the manager of a firm of cocoa merchants. They had four children besides Quintin: Lucy, Phillip, Juan, and Willie. Along with his brothers, Quintin was among a small number of young men in Trinidad whose families could afford to provide them with a secondary education. He attended school at Saint Mary’s College
Saint Mary's College, Trinidad and Tobago
Saint Mary's College is a government-assisted Catholic secondary school situated on Frederick Street in the heart of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The school was established in 1863 with only a handful of students but enrollment today is close to 1200. The school's motto 'Virtus et Scientia'...
, though he left school without obtaining the Junior Cambridge Certificate.
O'Connor married Lucy Daphne Piper on July 31, 1943. During the couple’s fifteen year marriage, they had four children.
Union career
O'Connor, as a member of the Clerks' section of the Trinidad Labour PartyTrinidad Labour Party
The Trinidad Labour Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Formed in in 1924 when the Trinidad Workingmen's Association changed its name, it was the country's first party.-History:...
(TLP), attempted on numerous occasions prior to the riots of 1937 to pass a motion permitting his union to register under the Trade Union Ordinance of 1933, but each and every motion was defeated. He was opposed within the party by TLP leader A.A. Cipriani, who, in addition to believing that the 1933 Ordinance did not provide sufficient protection to union organizers, preferred agitation for political reform within the colony's Legislative Council to union activities, such as strikes and street protests. Following the riots, however, O'Connor led a group of clerks who broke from the TLP to form the Union of Shop Assistants and Clerks (USAC), which was officially registered on August 30, 1938. In 1939, O'Connor and other leaders of the USAC, organized the mainly female workers at the Renown shirt factory and won for them a 12.5 percent wage increase, and an eight hour workday among other concessions.
In 1940, O'Connor incorporated the USAC into the Federated Workers Trade Union
Federated Workers Trade Union
The Federated Workers Trade Union was a trade union in Trinidad and Tobago that was formed in 1935. It was Registered in 1937 and became the recognised union for some workers in the private sector but also those in the Public Works Department and the Trinidad Government Railways.In 1959 the...
(FWTU), which he took over with Albert Gomes
Albert Gomes
Albert Maria Gomes , a Trinidad and Tobago unionist, politician, and writer of Portuguese descent, was the first Chief Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He was the founder of the Political Progress Groups and later led the Party of Political Progress Groups...
. Though originally intent on exclusively organizing clerks, O'Connor and Gomes met with little success and decided to turn the FWTU into an omnibus union. They regularly received advice from the British Trade Union Congress (TUC). When the United States established a naval base in the Chaguaramas area, they secretly organized the base workers and eventually won recognition as the bargaining agents for the base employees. They also organized many government workers. In 1946, on behalf of government workers, they signed the FWTU's first collective bargaining agreement. This agreement was historic because, for the first time in Trinidad's history, wage increases were linked to increases in the cost of living index. In addition, the agreement was a sign from the government to other employers that collective bargaining was to become a normal part of labour relations in Trinidad.
In 1948, O’Connor became the secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Trades Union Congress (TTTUC), which briefly united the labour movement in Trinidad and Tobago and was able to enter into block agreements with employers. However, the TTTUC split up shortly after over the issue of international affiliation with the World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
(WFTU).
As a result of O’Connor’s support for the WFTU, as well as his activities in the Caribbean Labour Congress (CLC), an organization dedicated to the independence of British Caribbean colonies and the spread of socialism, O’Connor was put on a list of leftists banned from traveling throughout the English-speaking Caribbean.
Political career and activism
During the 1930s and 40s, O'Connor associated with a small group of left-leaning Trinidadian writers and thinkers, including Alfred Mendes, Albert GomesAlbert Gomes
Albert Maria Gomes , a Trinidad and Tobago unionist, politician, and writer of Portuguese descent, was the first Chief Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He was the founder of the Political Progress Groups and later led the Party of Political Progress Groups...
, CLR James, and Ralph De Boissiere
Ralph de Boissière
Ralph Anthony Charles de Boissière was an Trinidad-born Australian social realist novelist.Ralph de Boissière was born in Port of Spain, the son of Armand de Boissière, a solicitor, and Maude Harper, an English woman who died three weeks later...
among others. In the 1940s, O'Connor joined New Dawn, a Marxist group dedicated to Trinidadian independence. He also "godfathered" the Why Not Discussion Group, which regularly denounced British colonial policy and became a "focal point for dissent."
In 1942, O’Connor joined the West Indian National Party
West Indian National Party
The West Indian National Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It contested the 1976 general elections, but received just 1,242 votes and failed to win a seat. It did not contest any further elections....
, which became a part of the United Front during the 1946 General Elections. During these elections, O’Connor campaigned on behalf of Gomes, who won a seat on the Legislative Council with over 65% of the vote. In the late 1940s, O’Connor broke with Gomes, who as a member of the Trinidad’s Executive Council abandoned his pro-union sympathies and left wing politics.
In the elections of 1950, O’Connor ran for a seat in the Legislative Council under the banner of the TTTUC, but lost with just over 30% of the vote. In April 1951, he was one of the founding members of the West Indian Independence Party (WIIP). Because of its left-wing views, the WIIP was investigated by a British Commission led by Fred Dalley of the British TUC. The Commission claimed that WIIP was "communist inspired and directed" and put pressure on O’Connor and others to quit the party. O’Connor refused to quit until he was ready to move on to other political endeavours. As a member of the Caribbean National Labour Party (CNLP), he contested a seat in Port of Spain North East, but lost with just under 9% of the vote.
O’Connor was also active on behalf of a number of social and political causes throughout his life. In 1941, he submitted a memorandum to the Franchise Committee in favour of universal adult suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
. In 1946, he spoke out against restrictions which banned panmen from playing their instruments in public places. He also spoke out against the racism experienced by blacks who worked on the US Naval Base in Chaguaramas. During the war, O’Connor successfully opposed the introduction of a Sedition Bill, which would have curtailed civil liberties for the duration of the war.
In 1948, O'Connor sat on the Constitutional Reform Committee and signed the majority report, which reformed Trinidad and Tobago's political system without granting responsible government. However, at a CLC conference, he later withdrew his signature and supported a resolution in favour of Patrick Solomon's minority report, which demanded immediate self-government.
Death
O’Connor died from a stroke on November 3, 1958. The casket containing his body was followed by a large procession through the streets of Port of SpainPort of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
on route to Lapeyrouse cemetery. Once at the cemetery, people stood graveside and gave panegyrics in his honour. Having observed the tributes paid to O’Connor at his funeral, then editor of “The Nation” and leading Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
intellectual, CLR James, called for recognition of O’Connor as a great West Indian.
Honours
In 1973, the Trinidadian government posthumously awarded O’Connor the Chaconia Medal “For Long and Meritorious Service to Trinidad and Tobago” for his role in the birth and growth of the trade union movement. In 1985, the government honoured his memory by issuing a stamp featuring his image as part of a series of stamps honouring great Trinidadian labour leaders.The Oilfields Workers' Trade UnionOilfields Workers' Trade Union
The Oilfields Workers Trade Union or OWTU is one of the most powerful trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago. Currently led by Ancil Roget, the union was born out of the 1937 labour riots, the union was nominally led by the imprisoned TUB Butler but was actually organised by lawyer Adrian Cola Rienzi...
’s library is named in honour of him.