1. The Workers’ Revolution & The Winnipeg General Strike

3. 1917: a group of communists in Russia (called the Bolsheviks) overthrew the government in a violent revolution

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

5. 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)

6. 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

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

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

9. 1918-1919 Workers Price of goods soar. Workers had taken lower wages to support the war, but after the war, the wages stay low. Long hours, terrible working conditions.

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

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

12. 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?

13. 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 STRIKES

14. Winnipeg in 1919 Winnipeg was a hotbed of radical politics & unionism 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

15. 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

16. 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) Stores & factories closed: no public transportation, garbage collection, postal service, fire-fighters, etc. Many feared that this was the beginning of a communist revolution!

19. 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. The Winnipeg General Strike, June 1919

20. 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

21.  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 Federal Government Response

22. June 21 st, 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”

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

24. 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

25. 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. Outcomes of the Strike

26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfhIyhZ8XEk Winnipeg General Strike: Video