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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 Activity. You will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role: Metal Workers Union
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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?
Simulation Activity • You will be placed in groups of 3 and be given a role: • Metal Workers Union • Building and Trades Union • Industry Owners • Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council • Citizens Committee of One Thousand • Winnipeg City Government • Federal Government • Non-Union Workers, Veterans, the Unemployed • In each group chose who will be: • Group leader – role is to move and negotiate with other groups • Negotiator – stay at table and negotiate with leaders that visit you • Recorder - record all deals and alliances
What do you need to do? • Read your card - be sure you understand your group’s status and your goals • Brainstorm: Who will you try to convince? What will you say? • 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?
What was life like for returning soldiers? What do workers demand? 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
Where were workers going on strike? Why? Workers strike across Canada Strikes: • 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
What influenced the West? What is the OBU? How will they get what they want? 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
How does the first General Strike begin? How is Winnipeg affected? 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)
Who opposes the Strike? How does the Gov. React? 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
What is Bloody Saturday? How does the Strike end? 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
How is the strike a set back for workers? How was the strike a success? Result of Strike • 7 leaders convicted of conspiracy to overthrow gov. - 2 yrs in prison • Many 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)
Watch: Canada a People’s History: volume 8 ( ordeal by fire) • chap. 10: Winnipeg General Strike (11 mins)