Benoît had his early trade union experience with an American-based group called the Knights of Labor.
[1] Expanding from the United States to Canada in the late 19th century, they supported a radical set of social reforms.
In a notable case, Benoît appeared before the Royal Commission on the Relations of Capital and Labor in Canada chaired by James Sherrard Armstrong.
[2] He made a strong case about the need to improve conditions workers in the boot and shoe industry were facing.
[1] This biographical article about a workers' rights activist is a stub.