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Winnipeg General strike

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 Activity. You will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role: Metal Workers Union

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Winnipeg General strike

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  1. Winnipeg General strike

  2. 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?

  3. What is happening?

  4. 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

  5. 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

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

  7. What was life like for returning soldiers? What do workers demand? 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

  8. Where were workers going on strike? Why? Workers strike across Canada 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

  9. What influenced the West? What is the OBU? How will they get what they want? 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

  10. How does the first General Strike begin? How is Winnipeg affected? 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)

  11. Who opposes the Strike? How does the Gov. React? 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

  12. What is Bloody Saturday? How does the Strike end? 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

  13. How is the strike a set back for workers? How was the strike a success? Result of Strike • 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)

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

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