Winnipeg 1919
The year of 1919 has been one of the most influential years of strikes in Canadian history. The event that occurred on this year still lingers in Canadian minds and continues to be one of the most meaningful and powerful effects of labor protest and the struggle of people to create trade union rights. As it is stated it is “the first and the only time in Canadian history that a major city was split clearly into two opposing classes.” (McNaught, 1963). The implications of The Winnipeg General Strike were far more reaching that just Winnipeg alone. It is argued that: “it involved the federal state, which threw its whole weight behind the business interests of Winnipeg, and aroused deep and bitter feelings in the ranks of labor all over the country. Its impact was far wider than the immediate economic issues of the strike. In the end, the six weeks that shook Winnipeg also shook the politics of Canada, and the legacy of the strike is more to be seen in its political consequences that in any other of its many aspects.” (Penner, 1975).
During WWI, which began in 1914, Canada showed its loyalty to Britain by sending many Canadian soldiers to fight in the battlefield. Canada was also a big supplier of ammunition and food to Europe during the war. This created many jobs during the war and even the unskilled and unemployed were able to find employment. Although war proved to be good for Canadian economy, the cost of living in Canada started to increase dramatically but the wages still remained low, inflation stated to occur and many employers were starting to undermine skilled workers and craftsmen. At the same time, Prime Minister Robert Borden passed a legislation that banned labor unions in the country. Due to the newly build railroad, many immigrants started to immigrate to the west and by 1919 the population of working class in Winnipeg tripled. It is stated that: “the end of the world war signaled the release from the patriotic obligations that had kept reluctant workers on the job, and it brought new and complex problems of reconstruction and soldiers’ resettlement.” (Bercuson & McNaught, 1974). The war was over in 1918 and much of Canada’s production and shipment to Europe stopped. Many people in Winnipeg were left unemployed and with the return of soldiers from war, the unemployment rate rose even higher. The Canadians took an example from the Russian’s Bolshevik revolution that occurred in 1917, where the Russians were able to overthrow their government and opt for change. Canadians however did not want to resort to violent acts like the Russians, but they believed that they can bring change if the working class had more power. As one author says, “ indicative of the prevalent labor unrest was the series of strikes in western Canada in 1918. Of those the most serious occurred in Winnipeg. It lasted for over three weeks and reached semi-general proportions. In some ways it was a rehearsal for the general strike which began a year later.” (Masters, 1950). The strike of 1918 was somewhat a success for the laborers in the light and power department in the city of Winnipeg. They went on strike for better wages and better scheduling. The committee ended up negotiating with the strikers. As claimed by one author, “the settlement represented, on the whole, a victory for labor. Not only had wage schedules been revised upwards, but the City Council had been forced to abandon the principles of the Fowler amendment.” (Masters, 1950). This strike served as a successful example of labor strikers receiving their demands through a strike. A few months before the Winnipeg General Strike occurred, a meeting was held in Calgary between miners, lumber, carpenter, machinists, railway and the socialist party of Canada in hopes that they will organize One Big Union (OBU), where both the skilled and unskilled as well as Canadians and immigrants can belong to. The One Big Union (OBU) believed that through small general strikes they can combat capitalism. As written by own author “for some weeks before the strike there had been pending two disputes of importance between employees in the building trades and the builders and between metal workers and contract shops and the owners.” (Robson, 1970). There were few attempts made by the employers for a resolution with workers, however none were successful.
