Winnipeg General strike

After WW1 ended, soldiers returned home to Canada. 1 After WW1 ended, soldiers returned home to Canada. 1. What would they expect life to be like upon their return? 2. What is the Reality?

What is happening?

Simulation Activity You will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role: Metal Workers Union Building and Trades Union Industry Owners Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council Citizens Committee of One Thousand Winnipeg City Government Federal Government Non-Union Workers, Veterans, the Unemployed In each group chose who will be: Group leader – role is to move and negotiate with other groups Negotiator – stay at table and negotiate with leaders that visit you Recorder - record all deals and alliances

What do you need to do? Read your card - be sure you understand your group’s status and your goals Brainstorm: Who will you try to convince? What will you say? Send out group leader to make alliances to further your cause the recorder will write down the negotiated details to prove the alliance helps you in order to earn the points How can you win? Every group has points You collect points for every alliance made that furthers your goal. (no points for alliances that work against your goal) Group (or alliance) with the most points wins

Conclusions: What was the result? Who met their goals? Who made alliances? What do you think happened in Winnipeg in 1919?

Veterans & life at home What was life like for returning soldiers? What do workers demand? Soldiers return to few jobs, no medical services for wounded, no veteran pensions Employers were rich, veterans poor Costs have risen & wages haven’t No pensions, unemployment, or workers compensation yet in Canada Result: workers demand higher wages, better working conditions, unions

Workers strike across Canada Where were workers going on strike? Why? Strikes: Coal and steel workers on Cape Breton Island Closing wartime industries community was single industry: British Empire Steel Corporation Labour wars – poverty, violence Western Canada Strikes – across prairies and BC

Socialism and Western Unions What influenced the West? What is the OBU? How will they get what they want? Western union leaders influenced by Bolshevik revolution in Russia (communism) 1919 Western Labour Conference – founded One Big Union (OBU) for all Canadian workers Goal to get workers more control over industry and government through peaceful means How? The General Strike

Winnipeg General Strike How does the first General Strike begin? How is Winnipeg affected? May 1919: Winnipeg metal and building workers walk off job & demand higher wages, shorter work collective bargaining Winnipeg trades and Labour Council vote for general strike 30,000 workers go on strike Result: Paralyze Winnipeg (no postal workers, firefighters, streetcars, etc)

First reaction Who opposes the Strike? How does the Gov. React? Opposition: “Citizen’s’ Committee of One thousand” Business leaders, politicians Fear communist conspiracy to take over government Government reaction: Federal: Immigration Act: deport foreign born union leaders Municipal: special police, fire civic workers, arrest union leaders

Bloody Saturday What is Bloody Saturday? How does the Strike end? June 21: protest parade RCMP and Special Police (armed with pistols and clubs) charge into crowd Violence Strikers: 1 dead, 30 injured, many arrested Defeat: strikers return to work Length: 43 days

Result of Strike How is the strike a set back for workers? How was the strike a success? 7 leaders convicted of conspiracy to overthrow gov. - 2 yrs in prison Many workers lost jobs, or had to sign contracts not allowing them to join a union Royal Commission : finds workers grievances are valid (over time, will get demands)

Watch: Canada a People’s History: volume 8 ( ordeal by fire) chap. 10: Winnipeg General Strike (11 mins)