2. What do you think is happening in this picture?

3. Workers in 1918-1919 Price of goods soar Workers had taken lower wages to support the war, but after the war wages stay low Long hours, terrible working conditions Unions are formed to fight for workers rights

4. Politics and Philosophy Unions have left-wing ideas Due to the communist Russian Revolution, employers feared communism would spread to North America

5. Strike is supposed to be peaceful Shut down almost all services in Winnipeg

6. 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.

7. What did the workers want? Fair pay = 85 cents per hour An 8 hour work day The right to bargain collectively (as a group) for better working conditions

8. Supported by: Trades/building Railway/factory workers Police Firefighters Postal workers Cooks/waiters Tailors 30,000 walk out! Opposed by: Business leaders Politicians Industrialists Concerned citizens groups They saw the strikers as communist types, trying to overthrow the government. The federal government intervened.

9. Federal Government: Immigration Act Amended - Deported all foreign workers & union leaders

10. Strike lasts 6 weeks until: Winnipeg Mayor hires new police & arrests union leaders “Bloody Saturday” (21 June, 1919) Workers gather downtown to protest and police are sent out to meet them Police attacked the protesters - one dies, others wounded Finally, strikers return to work RESULT: The strikers lost Unions suffer a setback Many workers only rehired after promising not to join a union