The Roaring Life in Canada

THE ROARING LIFE IN CANADAOR, HOW WE BECAME MORE AMERICAN

WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE - 1919• Relationship between Canadian workers and employers

becoming explosive

• Unions had become stronger during the war

• Winnipeg Trades and Labour Union wanted:• Better wages• Working conditions• Recognition of their collective bargaining rights

WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE - 1919Bloody Saturday – June 21, 1919

Predict: How might these images relate? How might they differ? What is going on in each?

Think, Pair, Share

Winnipeg General Strike

North Main Street, 21 June 1919, resulting in 30 casualties and one death

The Lead UpWinnipeg-Largest Western City

The Lead Up1. Soldiers

-Lack of gov’t aid (pension, medical)

-Few jobs

-Resented rich employers (factory owners)

Returning WWI soldiers at Union Station, Winnipeg,

1919

Canadian Soldiers, WW1

Returning home, 1919

The Lead Up

2. Workers

-Poor pay-Poor conditions

Rules of the Workplace(Cigar Factory)

• 10 hrs make up a day's work

• No one is allowed to stop work during working hours

• All employees to be search before leaving the factory

• Loud or profane talking strictly prohibited.

• All employees wasting or dropping tobacco on the floor will be fined for each offence.

• Hair combing not allowed in the factory

The Lead Up3. Influenza (Flu) Epidemic

-Passed along CPR lines-Hit Winnipeg hard

(1918/19)

The Lead Up4. Communist Influences

-Russian Revolution (1919)-”Worker’s Unite!”

-No private ownership -High Russian Population

Power In NumbersUnions

-organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals

Power In NumbersO.B.U. “One Big Union” (1919)

-Represents all Canadian workers

-Main Weapon: GENERAL STRIKE!!

Strike Committee 1919

Power In NumbersCollective Bargaining

-1 bargains on behalf of the whole

e.g. Union leaders negotiate with a company for better wages/ conditions for workers(union members.

How It All Went Down1. Metal Workers Walk Out (May 1919)

Demands:-higher wages (85 cents/hour)-shorter work week (60 hrs/wk -> 44) -Right to collective bargaining

How It All Went Down2. GENERAL STRIKE!

-30,000 Support Strike

-Strike Committee-Winnipeg ground to a

halt!

How It All Went Down3. Citizen’s Committee of 1,000

-Business leaders, politicians,factory owners

-Create Special Police Force-Arrest strike leaders-Fire civic workers-“Sedition”

-threatening the state

Citizen’s Committee of 1000

How It All Went Down4. Bloody Saturday (June 21, 1919)

-Parade: workers protest

-N.W.M.P. charge the crowd-1 dead, 30 injured-Many arrested

How It All Went Down5. Workers Defeated

-Back to Work (Monday June 22, 1919)-43 day protest ends

Results1. Many strikers were not rehired

Results2. Some strikers were rehired, but forced to sign a contract:

Forbidding union involvement

Results3. 7 arrested leaders served

prison time

J.S. Woodsworth:-formed the Cooperative Commonwealth

Federation (CCF) NDP

Summary 1. Winnipeg in a fragile state,

unhappy masses 2. Workers STRIKE to protest unrest3. City grinds to a halt4. Citizen’s Committee of 1000

opposes5. Bloody Saturday – violence

erupts6. Workers return back to work

POLITICAL CHANGE AFTER WWIRobert Borden resigned shortly after WWI, due to his bad health

Arthur Meighen became the leader of the Conservatives and Canada’s 9th Prime Minister

William Lyon Mackenzie King (Liberal) and Meighen dominated politics throughout the 1920s

• They hated each other.

A NEW LOOK AT GOVERNMENT

LIBERALReformer, conciliatory, always looking for the middle path that wouldn’t offend anyone.

CONSERVATIVEBelieved in principals

over compromise, didn’t care who might be

offended by his stand on issues

ARTHUR MEIGHEN - CONSERVATIVEHelped draft Military Service Act (conscription)

Authored War Measures Act

Crushed Winnipeg General Strike

1920 – Recession caused Meighen to become widely disliked by workers, farmers, immigrants and Quebecers

Lost election of 1921 to King

WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE KING

Elected in 1921

Liberals (118 seats); Conservatives (48); Progressives (59)

Elected 1925

Formed a majority with help from Progressives King would be prime

minister for 22 of the next 27 years.

RUM RUNNERShttp://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2012/08/rum-runners.html