Winnipeg General strike

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 ActivityYou will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role:

1. Metal Workers Union

2. Building and Trades Union

3. Industry Owners

4. Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council

5. Citizens Committee of One Thousand

6. Winnipeg City Government

7. Federal Government

8. Non-Union Workers, Veterans, the Unemployed

In each group chose who will be:

1. Group leader – role is to move and negotiate with other groups

2. Negotiator – stay at table and negotiate with leaders that visit you

3. Recorder - record all deals and alliances

What do you need to do?1. Read your card - be sure you understand your group’s

status and your goals

2. Brainstorm: Who will you try to convince? What will you say?

3. 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 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

What was life like for returning soldiers?

What do workers demand?

Workers strike across CanadaStrikes: 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

Where were workers going on strike? Why?

Socialism and Western Unions 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

What influenced the West?

What is the OBU?

How will they get what they want?

Winnipeg General Strike 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)

How does the first General Strike begin?

How is Winnipeg affected?

First reaction 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

Who opposes the Strike?

How does the Gov. React?

Bloody Saturday 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

What is Bloody Saturday?

How does the Strike end?

Result of Strike7 leaders convicted of conspiracy to

overthrow gov. - 2 yrs in prisonMany 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)

How is the strike a set back for workers?

How was the strike a success?

Watch:

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

(11 mins)