It was the after effects of shorter disputes in 1874 and 1896 that led to the formation of the North Wales Quarrymen’s Union. These disputes came about following discussions with regards to the rights of workers to attend a Labour Day festival and the issue of the ‘bargain’. The 'bargain' was a system that protected the quarrymen’s earnings against the difficulties of working with rock of variable quality and allowed them to regard themselves as contractors rather than employees.
Lord Penrhyn and his agent E. A. Young had been fighting against the unionisation of their workforce and the tradition of the ‘bargain’ for several years. They had been trying everything they could to eliminate the North Wales Quarrymen's Union's influence within the quarry.
In April 1900 quarry manager Mr Emilieus Young announced trade union contributions would not be collected at the quarry.
Tensions turn to violence
Tensions between owner and workers finally boiled over on 26 October 1900, in violence against a number of contractors who had struck a bargain.
Lord Penrhyn pressed assault charges against 26 quarrymen and they were dismissed from the quarry, even before their case was heard before the Magistrates Court.
When the matter came to court, the Penrhyn quarrymen, in what became an iconic show of solidarity, marched to Bangor to show their support to the accused men and were all suspended from their work for two weeks. It was reported that as they marched past the gates of the castle, they turned their heads to face the other way.
At the hearing only 6 of the 26 of the accused men were found guilty of the charges and fined. In response to the growing tension the Chief Constable of the County called in military forces and was condemned by various public bodies as well as his own County Council.The suspended quarrymen returned to work on November 19, 1900 but eight banks (or ponciau as they were known locally) were not let out to be worked, leaving 800 men without a bargain.
Three days later, on 22 November, 2,000 quarrymen arrived as usual at the quarry but refused to work until the other 800 had struck a bargain. That morning Young gave them an ultimatum - “Go on working or leave the quarry quietly”. They walked out and the Great Strike of 1900-03 had started. Things would never be the same again.