The Winnipeg General Strike

Life In Canada During the War• During WW1, labour shortages

were a constant problem since many workers were off fighting the war in Europe.

• Labour shortages meant higher wages for those “essential workers” who remained in Canada. However, a shortage of workers also meant higher costs of living (e.g. Food, shelter and clothing.

• Workers were very busy and in high demand to keep up with the relentless need for wartime production (tanks, ships, and other military Contracts)

War Planes Production

Life for the Troops when they returned

• Many business people in Canada “profiteered” from this situation

• When WW1 ended and the 500,000 Canadian troops came back from Europe, they were looking for work to pay for the increased costs of goods and services.

• Often, they could not find work and joined the ranks of the unemployed

The Red Scare• With high unemployment and high

costs of living, many looked for political change.

• Inspired by the revolutionary theories of Karl Marx, the Bolsheviks under Vladimar Lenin had established the first communist state in Russia. This ideology stressed the need for worker’s solidarity against Capitalist oppression (e.g. war profiteers).

• For some, the fight for improved working conditions and rights for labourers was merely used as an attempt to bring a communist regime to Canada. The “Red Scare” had begun. Vladimar Lenin

The One Big Union• The One Big Union was a

“revolutionary industrial union” formed in 1919.

• Their goal was to organize general strikes whereby entire cities would be shut down. All workers would be organized to walk off the job at a specific time to exercise their bargining power against the powerful and wealthy industrialists.

• They fought for:• Better wages, • legal recognition of their union (they

were labelled as illegal• a six hour work day

The City of Winnipeg Shuts Down

• At 11 am May 15th, 1919, the City of Winnipeg was shut down.

• More than 30,000 workers: Phone operators, firefighters, factory workers, garbage collectors, streetcar operators and machinists all joined the general strike.

• The police force was also going to go on strike but they were asked to stay on the job to maintain law and order.

• Even non-unionized workers joined the strike to show their solidarity with the plight of the worker and the war veterans

Labourers lay down their tools

The Committee of 1000

• Committee made up of Manufacturers, bankers and politicians who organized to oppose the Winnipeg General Strike.

• The Federal Government was also very concerned since “sympathy strikes” were popping up in other major cities across Canada (e.g. Toronto)

The Committee of 1000

Police Breakup the Strike• The Committee of 1000 put

pressure on the Minister of Justice Arthur Meighen to break up the strike. However, achieving political and economic change through peaceful means (e.g. a strike) was not illegal in Canada. So what did the Government do?

• They changed the law so that the government could arrest people if they suspected that they were advocating revolution.

• In a series of early morning raids, dozens of strike leaders were arrested. Among them was the famous pacifist leader J.S. Woodsworth

J.S. Woodsworth

The Climax of the Strike• On Saturday June 21st, Angry

war veterans and armed strikers along with their families (women and children) gathered in the main streets of downtown Winnipeg to protest the government’s strong arm tactics.

• Eventually, there was riot as protesters smashed windows, and set a Tram on fire.

• The mounted police responded by firing on the crowds killing one protester and injuring 20 others. More than 80 protesters were arrested.

Protesters gather in Winnipeg

The Strike Ends

• After 6 weeks employees started going back to work. The strike had ended with a greater recognition of the concerns of working people and their new found economic and political power. For many, this strike was the birthplace of the trade union movement in Canada. Workers were no longer defenseless against “big business”