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The Roaring Life in Canada
Or, How we became more American
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Winnipeg General Strike - 1919
Relationship between Canadian workers and employers becoming explosive Unions had become stronger during the war Winnipeg Trades and Labour Union wanted: Better wages Working conditions Recognition of their collective bargaining rights
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Winnipeg General Strike - 1919
Bloody Saturday – June 21, 1919
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Think, Pair, Share Predict: How might these images relate? How might they differ? What is going on in each?
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Winnipeg General Strike
North Main Street, 21 June 1919, resulting in 30 casualties and one death
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The Lead Up Winnipeg -Largest Western City
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The Lead Up -Lack of gov’t aid (pension, medical) -Few jobs
1. Soldiers -Lack of gov’t aid (pension, medical) -Few jobs -Resented rich employers (factory owners)
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Returning WWI soldiers at Union Station, Winnipeg, 1919
Returning home, 1919 Canadian Soldiers, WW1
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The Lead Up 2. Workers -Poor pay -Poor conditions
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No one is allowed to stop work during working hours
Rules of the Workplace (Cigar Factory) 10 hrs make up a day's work No one is allowed to stop work during working hours All employees to be search before leaving the factory Loud or profane talking strictly prohibited. All employees wasting or dropping tobacco on the floor will be fined for each offence. Hair combing not allowed in the factory
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The Lead Up 3. Influenza (Flu) Epidemic -Passed along CPR lines
-Hit Winnipeg hard (1918/19)
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The Lead Up 4. Communist Influences -Russian Revolution (1919)
-”Worker’s Unite!” -No private ownership -High Russian Population
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Power In Numbers Unions
-organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals
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Power In Numbers O.B.U. “One Big Union” (1919)
-Represents all Canadian workers -Main Weapon: GENERAL STRIKE!! Strike Committee 1919
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Power In Numbers Collective Bargaining
-1 bargains on behalf of the whole e.g. Union leaders negotiate with a company for better wages/ conditions for workers(union members.
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How It All Went Down Metal Workers Walk Out (May 1919) Demands:
-higher wages (85 cents/hour) -shorter work week (60 hrs/wk -> 44) -Right to collective bargaining
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How It All Went Down 2. GENERAL STRIKE! -30,000 Support Strike
-Strike Committee -Winnipeg ground to a halt!
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How It All Went Down 3. Citizen’s Committee of 1,000
-Business leaders, politicians,factory owners -Create Special Police Force -Arrest strike leaders -Fire civic workers -“Sedition” -threatening the state
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Citizen’s Committee of 1000
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How It All Went Down Bloody Saturday (June 21, 1919)
-Parade: workers protest -N.W.M.P. charge the crowd -1 dead, 30 injured -Many arrested
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How It All Went Down 5. Workers Defeated
-Back to Work (Monday June 22, 1919) -43 day protest ends
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Results 1. Many strikers were not rehired
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Results 2. Some strikers were rehired, but forced to sign a contract: Forbidding union involvement
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Results 3. 7 arrested leaders served prison time J.S. Woodsworth:
-formed the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) NDP
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Summary Winnipeg in a fragile state, unhappy masses
Workers STRIKE to protest unrest City grinds to a halt Citizen’s Committee of 1000 opposes Bloody Saturday – violence erupts Workers return back to work
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Political Change after WWI
Robert Borden resigned shortly after WWI, due to his bad health Arthur Meighen became the leader of the Conservatives and Canada’s 9th Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (Liberal) and Meighen dominated politics throughout the 1920s They hated each other.
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A New Look at Government
LIBERAL Reformer, conciliatory, always looking for the middle path that wouldn’t offend anyone. CONSERVATIVE Believed in principals over compromise, didn’t care who might be offended by his stand on issues
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Arthur Meighen - Conservative
Helped draft Military Service Act (conscription) Authored War Measures Act Crushed Winnipeg General Strike 1920 – Recession caused Meighen to become widely disliked by workers, farmers, immigrants and Quebecers Lost election of 1921 to King
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William Lyon Mackenzie King
Elected in 1921 Liberals (118 seats); Conservatives (48); Progressives (59) Elected 1925 Formed a majority with help from Progressives King would be prime minister for 22 of the next 27 years.
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Rum Runners
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