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Winnipeg General Strike 1919

Winnipeg General Strike 1919. General strike part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDXOOX-DpGI. General strike part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcJhVLUPTDo. Construction industry:.

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Winnipeg General Strike 1919

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  1. Winnipeg General Strike 1919 General strike part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDXOOX-DpGI General strike part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcJhVLUPTDo

  2. Construction industry: • Wages were frozen during the war: construction industry just recovering and were unwilling to grant raises to employees. In May 1919 workers went on strike in Winnipeg • Other Workers also wanted $0.85/hour and a reduced work week of 44 hours instead of the current 60 hour week • Firefighters, streetcar drivers, telephone operators, sales clerks, garbage collectors, and street cleaners left their jobs Other disgruntled workers: • Metal trades, city police, street car workers, telephone operators, firemen, electrical workers, water works.

  3. General Strike called: paralysis of the city • 22 000 - 30 000 workers in 94 unions went off the job Government blamed: communists, revolutionaries Communism – Economic and political system where the state owns all property and business and run everything for the common good, rather than for individual profit Press/newspapers used propaganda: -called strikers “Bolsheviks”, “Soviets” -they appealed to patriotism

  4. During strike, the strike committee allowed some “essential” workers to return to the job: -bread bakers, milk delivery Reaction to the strike: • Citizen’s Committee of 1000 (against strikers)-take over abandoned jobs

  5. The Winnipeg General Strike • On June 17 the government arrested the strike leaders • Protests erupted across Canada, a rally was planned for June 21 • The Mayor forbade the rally – it happened anyway

  6. City made ultimatum to mail and police: return to work or be fired and replaced! • 240 city police fired and replaced by “special police” paid $6 per day (more than regular) lost control of the city. • No notion of police work: brawls, beatings, demonstrations, chaos, anarchy. Saturday June 21, 1919 (Bloody Saturday) • Demonstrations to protest the violent actions of strike breakers

  7. Mayor warned of arrests if demonstration went ahead • Streetcar provocation: attacked and burned • RNWMP 54 on horses, 36 in trucks • 2 charges: stones/bottles • 1 officer thrown from horse and beaten • Third charge: fired into crowd: one person killed, several wounded • Special police waiting around the corner: brawls

  8. The Winnipeg General Strike • The RCMP tried to break up the rally – a riot started • Two people died in the riot – called “Bloody Saturday” • The federal government responding to the riot by sending in the army

  9. The Winnipeg General Strike • The strike ended without the workers gaining anything • 7 strike leaders were jailed for 2 years, 4 immigrants were deported • Although unsuccessful this protest began a new movement of workers fighting for their rights in Canada

  10. Results Government investigated working conditions and wages Changes: • Child labour made illegal • 1926: old age pension • Labour leaders: get elected to Ottawa to change laws as MPs some found the CCF party (later the NDP)

  11. http://www3.nfb.ca/acrosscultures/toutvoir_vis.php?mediaid=660635&mc=104 2 min • 45 min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1_oKcXn8vs

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