Post-War Problems Canada in the aftermath of WW1

The Struggles of Returning Soldiers  Upon returning from WW1, our Soldiers expected to be greeted with parades and a warm welcome from the Canadian Government….

The Struggles of Returning Soldiers Physical & Mental Health Issues  Many of the men who fought in WW1 returned with wounds from the war….  Missing digits or limbs, some required an Iron Lung to help them breathe…  …for many these injuries prevented them from returning to the workplace.  Some men suffered from Shell Shock (now known as PTSD)….  The mental anguish they suffered during the war caused:  Flashbacks,  Trouble sleeping  Change in attitude  Trouble “fitting in” with those who had never fought…

The Struggles of Returning Soldiers The Spanish Flu  A pandemic occurred as WW1 was ending…  The Spanish Flu is of unknown origin….  Worldwide, the Spanish Flu killed upwards of 50 million people!  WW1 killed 11 million people over 4 years!  Many soldiers returned home to find members of their families had been killed by the Spanish Flu while they were overseas!

The Struggles of Returning Soldiers Expectations vs Reality  Many soldiers experienced a lack of recognition  They expected to be welcomed home with open arms by the Canadian People  …. But in many cases soldiers weren’t celebrated as heroes!  Many people looked down on the soldiers!  Unemployment was a major problem for returning men…  In 1921, 21% (1 in 5) veterans wer unemployed!

The Struggles of Returning Soldiers Poor treatment by the Government  Many soldiers found that due to technicalities, the Government would not provide the pensions that had been promised to them when they enlisted!  Many men, particularly those suffering from PTSD, were not provided compensation from the Government.  The Government did very little to help unemployed veterans find jobs!

Social Reform  As the 1920’s approached, many things were changing within Canadian Society….

Social Reform The Poor  Though Canada was a fairly prosperous nation, the numbers of Canadians living in poverty had quietly grown during World War 1  In response to issues, Canadians saw many changes during the period after WW1  Malnutrition & Other Illnesses  Stronger Boards of Health  Alcohol Abuse  Women’s Christian Temperance Union  Poor Housing Conditions  Churches & Charities  Lack of education  Provinces pass Mandatory Education Laws!

Social Reform Women  Women’s Issues included:  No political rights (cannot vote or hold office)  Poor working conditions and lower wages than men  Few opportunities for post-secondary education  Few careers open outside teaching and nursing  Most jobs for women were unskilled jobs in offices & stores, or as domestic servants!  Advances for Women’s Rights  Organizations founded to improve women’s working conditions  Clubs like Women’s Christian Temperance Union begin to exert political pressure  Leaders like Nellie McClung and Emily Murphy build awareness of political issues  Education opportunities begin to open (ie Women’s Institute)  Some women like Dr. Emily Stowe forge a path for other women!

Social Reform Worker’s Rights  In the aftermath of war, labour problems are common  Countries are expected to pay back loans from the war period…  … with interest!  CANADA WAS NO EXCEPTION  Government debt causes:  Inflation (a dollar buys less)  Higher Cost of Living  Unemployment  Low wages

Labour Unions The Beginnings  Organizations created to protect workers from unfair treatment by employers  Unions hoped to achieve  Better working conditions (Safety!)  Less hours per week  Greater pay

Labour Unions The Beginnings  Up to the late 1910’s, Labour Law in Canada favored employers over employees  There was no COLLECTIVE BARGAINING during negotiations  Employers did not have to bargain with Employee Representatives  Also:  No Unemployment Insurance  No compensation for injuries on the job  No Old-Age Pensions

Labour Unions The Beginnings  The Union Movement grew during the period after WW1…  1000’s of Canadians were joining Unions…  But Unions still had no MUSCLE, no POWER  The only tool Unions had was a STRIKE….  But Labour Law allowed Employers to either  A) Use Courts to order employees back to work  B) Hire non-union labour (Strike Breakers)

Strikes  During WW1, Strikes were prohibited by law….  … but after WW1, one of Canada’s largest strikes of all time took place…  THE WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE

The Winnipeg General Strike  The Metal Workers Union in Winnipeg were negotiating a new contract…  In it they sought:  85 cents per day  An 8 hour workday (down from over 12)  Guaranteed Collective Bargaining Rights going forward….  Their employers had rejected the Union’s requests….

The Winnipeg General Strike  And so, The Metal Workers Union began to organize Strike Action….  The Strike was planned for May of 1919….

The Winnipeg General Strike  Local Business Leaders, Owners & Politicians were suspicious of the Strike’s motives…  What brought Russia out of the War in 1917?  A WORKERS UPRISING…. A REVOLUTION!  After WW1 ended, many Europeans began to move to Manitoba…  Business Leaders, Owners & Politicians feared RADICAL FOREIGNERS would incite a revolution!

The Winnipeg General Strike  Other Labour Unions saw what was at stake with the Metal Workers… and planned SYMPATHY STRIKES….  The goal was COLLECTIVE BARGAINING for ALL!  The different Unions banded together to form the CENTRAL STRIKE COMMITTEE (CSC)…  To counter this, Business Owners banded together to form the CITIZENS COMMITTEE OF 1000

The Winnipeg General Strike June 1919  30,000 workers in Winnipeg go on strike…  They plan to shut the city down!  To counter the Strike Action, the Government passes new laws  All parades & demonstrations were banned  Any foreigner suspected of trying to cause a revolution could be arrested and deported….  …. WITHOUT TRIAL!  In order to ‘keep the peace’ in Winnipeg… the government deployed the Northwest Mounted Police

The Winnipeg General Strike June 1919  As the strike progressed, many families met many hardships…  NO WORK, NO PAY!  NO PAY, NO RENT or FOOD!  Many men couldn’t afford the strike and went back to work…  June 20 th, the homes of the Strike’s leaders were raided, and the Strike Leaders were imprisoned….

The Winnipeg General Strike June 1919  June 21, 1919….  Bloody Saturday  A parade was organized (despite laws) by the Central Strike Committee  The crowd began to jeer and taunt the Police….  Then they began to throw bottles….  And they torched a Streetcar….  The police responded…. with bullets

The Winnipeg General Strike Bloody Saturday  For the second time in 5 years, the Canadian Government was responsible for the shooting its own people…  2 men were killed  100’s were arrested….  A couple of days later, the Strike was called off….

The Winnipeg General Strike  The Metal Workers did not accomplish any of their goals…  The Organizers were blacklisted…  Many men lost their jobs when they were not hired back…  Others were forced to sign agreements that they would not join unions…  … and Union membership began to decrease….  The Winnipeg General Strike appeared to be a failure….

The Winnipeg General Strike Looking Back…  When we look at the Winnipeg General Strike through the lens of history, we see some important points…  1) The Winnipeg Strike called attention to the social and economic problems of working class Canadians….  2) Working Class Canadians began to band together to confront their common issues  3) Union Leaders were pushed to enter Politics…  They began to push for laws that supported EMPLOYEES as well as EMPLOYERS!  The WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE was the BIRTH OF THE CANADIAN LABOR MOVEMENT!