The Workers’ Revolution & The Winnipeg General Strike

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The Workers’ Revolution & The Winnipeg General Strike
Presentation transcript:

The Workers’ Revolution & The Winnipeg General Strike

1917: a group of communists in Russia (called the Bolsheviks) overthrew the government in a violent revolution

The Bolsheviks encouraged workers around the world to join in this revolution

The Bolsheviks Believed that everyone in a community (including the workers) should own and control the production and distribution of goods (instead of just the factory owners)

The Red Scare Canadians feared the spread of communism, and did not want the Bolsheviks to win in Russia When Canadian workers joined to form Trade Unions many people thought it might be the beginning of a communist revolution

The Red Scare Officials looked for communist books/articles at the borders, and if someone had any of these materials they were sent to prison!

The Labour Wars 1918-1919 Veterans Return Few Jobs, few benefits Not given compensation for the war No pensions, medical care Business owners have profited from the war – they’re rich The veterans form the Royal Canadian Legion (1925) to fight for veteran’s rights.

Unions are formed to fight for workers rights. Price of goods soar due to a limited supply. Large increase in inflation, workers are slowly going broke Workers had taken lower wages to support the war, but after the war, the wages stay low. Long hours, terrible working conditions. Unions are formed to fight for workers rights.

Why do you think that workers would form trade unions? Why form a trade union? Why do you think that workers would form trade unions? What did they want? To gain: Improved housing Job training programs Higher pay Compensation for injuries

Philosophy Unions have left-wing ideologies. Due to what had happened in Russia, employers feared a new “Bolshevik Invasion” of North America.

So what do you think that the workers and trade unions did? Trade unions were forming in Canada… BUT Labour law in Canada did not say that employers had to bargain with unions So what do you think that the workers and trade unions did?

STRIKES They organized… “Walking off the job” Workers believed that by standing together, they could force employers to pay higher wages and establish shorter working hours

Winnipeg in 1919 Winnipeg was a hotbed of radical politics & unionism Why Winnipeg? Immigration Location Manufacturing Division

Winnipeg in 1919 Massive support for One Big Union Metal & Building industries Employers refuse to negotiate with unions. Take a vote on idea of general strike. 11,000 YES / 600 NO

The Winnipeg General Strike, June 1919 Numerous Strikes The One Big Union forms in 1919 Western Union Leaders Goal is to represent all workers More control over gov’t, industry New weapon: the General Strike General strike is a Large-scale strike involving workers from many different trades. The objective is to shut down a city or community until the employers cave in. The Winnipeg General Strike, June 1919

What Happened? 30,000 worker walked off the job Strike spread from industry to industry and quickly became a general strike Sympathy strikes around the country (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal) Stores & factories closed: no public transportation, garbage collection, postal service, fire-fighters, etc. Many feared that this was the beginning of a communist revolution!

The Winnipeg General Strike, June 1919 Supported by: trades/building railway/factory workers police firefighters postal workers cooks/waiters tailors 30,000 walk out Opposed by: Citizens Committee of One Thousand Business leaders Politicians Industrialists They saw the strikers as Bolsheviks trying to overthrow the government. The federal government intervened.

Response Winnipeg’s most powerful industrialists, bankers, and politicians refused to meet with the strike leaders Said it was the work of communist “enemy aliens” PM Borden sent Arthur Meighen & other representatives to Winnipeg Meighen refused to meet with the strikers

Federal Government Response Immigration Act Amended: Deported all foreign workers & union leaders- anyone who was suspected of “trying to cause a revolution” could be arrested and deported with no hearing or trial. Sent troops with machine guns to Winnipeg NWMP raided homes of union leaders and arrested 10 strike leaders

“Bloody Saturday” June 21st, 1919: violence erupted: a crowd gathered to watch a parade protesting against the arrest of the strike leaders. Crowd overturned a streetcar and set it on fire.

“Bloody Saturday” Mounted Police charged the crowd: armed with pistols and clubs, they beat the protestors. 1 man killed, 30 injured, 100s arrested.

Outcomes of the Strike Strike lasts 6 weeks until: Winnipeg Mayor hires new police & arrests union leaders Workers gather downtown to protest Mounted Police & special police sent out Armed with pistols and clubs, they beat the protesters. One dies. Finally, strikers return to work. RESULT: THE STRIKERS LOST! Unions suffer a setback. Many workers only rehired after promising not to join a union. It was another 30 years until the government recognized trade unions!

Outcomes of the Strike Some positive outcomes Drew attention to the social and economic problems that many people faced Labour leaders became more interested in politics, and pro-worker political parties became more popular Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which became the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1961.

Winnipeg General Strike: Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfhIyhZ8XEk Winnipeg General Strike video (43:49)