winnipeg general strike. after ww1 ended, soldiers returned home to canada. 1. what would they...
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Winnipeg General strike
After WW1 ended, soldiers returned home to Canada.
1. What would they expect life to
be like upon their return?
2. What is the Reality?
What is happening?
Simulation ActivityYou will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role:
1. Metal Workers Union
2. Building and Trades Union
3. Industry Owners
4. Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council
5. Citizens Committee of One Thousand
6. Winnipeg City Government
7. Federal Government
8. Non-Union Workers, Veterans, the Unemployed
In each group chose who will be:
1. Group leader – role is to move and negotiate with other groups
2. Negotiator – stay at table and negotiate with leaders that visit you
3. Recorder - record all deals and alliances
What do you need to do?1. Read your card - be sure you understand your group’s
status and your goals
2. Brainstorm: Who will you try to convince? What will you say?
3. Send out group leader to make alliances to further your cause
the recorder will write down the negotiated details to prove the alliance helps you in order to earn the points
How can you win? Every group has points You collect points for every alliance made that furthers your
goal. (no points for alliances that work against your goal) Group (or alliance) with the most points wins
Conclusions:What was the result?
Who met their goals?
Who made alliances?
What do you think happened in Winnipeg in 1919?
Veterans & life at home Soldiers return to few jobs, no medical
services for wounded, no veteran pensions Employers were rich, veterans poor Costs have risen & wages haven’t No pensions, unemployment, or workers
compensation yet in Canada
Result: workers demand higher wages, better working conditions, unions
What was life like for returning soldiers?
What do workers demand?
Workers strike across CanadaStrikes: Coal and steel workers on Cape Breton Island
Closing wartime industries community was single industry: British Empire
Steel Corporation Labour wars – poverty, violence
Western Canada Strikes – across prairies and BC
Where were workers going on strike? Why?
Socialism and Western Unions Western union leaders influenced by Bolshevik
revolution in Russia (communism)
1919 Western Labour Conference – founded One Big Union (OBU) for all Canadian workers
Goal to get workers more control over industry and government through peaceful means
How? The General Strike
What influenced the West?
What is the OBU?
How will they get what they want?
Winnipeg General Strike May 1919: Winnipeg metal and building
workers walk off job & demand higher wages, shorter work collective bargaining
Winnipeg trades and Labour Council vote for general strike
30,000 workers go on strike
Result: Paralyze Winnipeg
(no postal workers, firefighters, streetcars, etc)
How does the first General Strike begin?
How is Winnipeg affected?
First reaction Opposition: “Citizen’s’
Committee of One thousand” Business leaders,
politicians Fear communist
conspiracy to take over government
Government reaction: Federal: Immigration Act:
deport foreign born union leaders
Municipal: special police, fire civic workers, arrest union leaders
Who opposes the Strike?
How does the Gov. React?
Bloody Saturday June 21: protest parade RCMP and Special Police (armed with pistols
and clubs) charge into crowd Violence Strikers: 1 dead, 30 injured, many arrested
Defeat: strikers return to work Length: 43 days
What is Bloody Saturday?
How does the Strike end?
Result of Strike7 leaders convicted of conspiracy to
overthrow gov. - 2 yrs in prisonMany workers lost jobs, or had to sign
contracts not allowing them to join a union
Royal Commission : finds workers grievances are valid (over time, will get demands)
How is the strike a set back for workers?
How was the strike a success?
Watch:
Canada a People’s History: volume 8 ( ordeal by fire) chap. 10: Winnipeg General Strike
(11 mins)
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