1. “Wars have a way of inspiring political dissent and radicalization.”
Post-WWI Canada
“Wars have a way of inspiring political dissent and radicalization.”

2. Adjustment Period Most soldiers returned home in 1919
returning soldiers faced many hardships
wanted pension and compensation payments
found it difficult to return to ‘normal’ life.
Quebec’s opposition to conscription divided the country

3. Economic Upheaval
Just after WWI – INFLATION = prices of goods soared and the cost of living shot up
At the same time – munitions plants closed down and few new factories opened up
Those who did shift to producing consumer goods needed time to re-tool
Jobs were hard to come by

4. Economic Upheaval – cont’
When 1,000s of veterans returned home looking for jobs – unemployment rose even higher
Women often forced out of work so returning men could take their jobs, but still not enough jobs for returning soldiers

5. = Labour Discontent Labour Discontent Low Wages + Inflation
+ War Pride
+ Gov’t’s Lack of Action
= Labour Discontent

6. Worker Unrest & Militancy
Strikes: workers demand higher wages, better working conditions, right to join unions. Even if the received higher wages, inflation caught up to wages
Unions: increased with labour discontent 1914: 150,000 trade union members
1919: 400,000 trade union members

7. Workers Unrest and Radicalization
Western Labour Conference in March 1919 created One Big Union to represent all workers
They wanted to abolish production for profit (basis of a capitalism) and establish a 6 hour work day

8. Winnipeg General Strike

9. Winnipeg General Strike (1919)
Labour unrest came to a head in the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
at that time Winnipeg was the financial centre of Western Canada
Building & metal-trades workers, supported by more than 30,000 working people, tied up the city for 6 weeks
Sparked dozens of sympathy strikes across the country

10. Strike - Standstill
Winnipeg was at a standstill: 35,000 workers stopped working
no firefighters, postal workers, telephone, newspapers, streetcars, bread/milk deliveries…

11. Winnipeg Strike – cont’
workers asked for higher wages, better working conditions, and the right to bargain collectively (negotiations between workers and management)
Because of the Russian Revolution (1917) of communist workers, government & business leaders panicked
Feared a communist revolution in Canada

12. Owners’ Reaction to Unions
Most factory owners & city councils had never faced unions before, and strongly opposed them
Labeled them “Bolsheviks” (communists) and radicals
By there were more than 420 strikes in Canada & many non-union workers also demonstrated to support worker demands

13. Reaction to Strike Citizen’s Committee of One Thousand
formed by business leaders, politicians, and industrialists who did not sympathize with the strikers
committee saw union leaders as part of a communist conspiracy to overthrow the government

14. Reaction to Strike – cont’
Federal government – fearing disruption and protest could spread to other cities – intervened
Immigration Act amended to allow foreign-born residents suspected of trying to cause a revolution to be deported without a trial.
Mayor of Winnipeg appointed special police, fired many civic workers, and had the strike leaders arrested

15. “Bloody Saturday”
June 21st, 1919 a crowd gathered to watch a parade protesting the arrest of strike leaders and overturned and set fire to a streetcar run by “volunteers” (seen as traitors by workers)
The Royal Mounted Police charged the crowd.
One man was killed, 30 injured and nearly 100 arrested on the day known as Bloody Saturday.

16. Results of Winnipeg Strike
Lasted 43 days total
Metal workers went back to work without a pay increase.
Some workers were jailed, some were deported, and thousands lost their jobs.
Those who were re-hired were forced to sign contracts agreeing not to join a union
Seven strike leaders were convicted of a conspiracy to overthrow the government and jailed for up to two years.

17. Strike Aftermath cont’
In the 1920 Manitoba provincial election, 11 labour candidates won seats. Four of them were strike leaders.
It was another 20 years before collective bargaining was recognized in Canada.
Winnipeg's economy went into a decline.
Divisions between working and business classes grew

18. What would you do?
If you were a returning soldier in Winnipeg during the General Strike, which side would you have been on and WHY?
What other methods could the strikers have tried to make the gains they wanted?