The first Canadian locals were admitted. Montreal Local 56 and Toronto Local 58 were welcomed into the Alliance in 1898.
Gaining admission to the National Alliance was difficult for both unions. American members were uneasy about expanding into an international organization too soon. The stumbling block was the concept of merging American and Canadian organizations, rather than admitting two Canadian locals into an American union. Within the ranks of the Alliance were a number of stalwarts who opposed internationalism in any form.
From the beginnong, the Canadian locals were integrally involved in the Alliance – for example, at the 1899 convention, Montreal Local 56 sent delegate P. J. Ryan, who took an active part in preparing the report on laws and resolutions.