Table of Contents
What started the Winnipeg General Strike?
They wanted the right to collective bargaining, better wages and better working conditions. Workers staged several strikes in early May 1919. On 15 May, the Winnipeg Trades and Labor Council (WTLC) called a general strike after talks broke down (see also Labour Mediation).
What caused the general strike?
The General Strike began on Monday 4th 1926. The TUC argued that the miners were facing longer hours with lower pay, imposed by mine owners to keep profits up. They said it was an Industrial Dispute between bosses and their workers. It was a struggle for all working class people not just the mining community.
What were the causes and consequences of the Winnipeg General Strike?
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and became the platform for future labour reforms. Massive unemployment and inflation, dismal wages and working conditions, and the success of the Russian Revolution all contributed to labour unrest at the time.
Who were the specials in the Winnipeg General Strike?
The business community hired and equipped 1,800 special constables to contain strike mobilizations and crack down on public assembly, alongside the Royal North-West Mounted Police, who were brought in to the city. The special constables, or “Specials,” provoked a riot on June 10 after attempting to disperse a crowd.
Why was there a general strike in Winnipeg in 1919?
May 15, 1919. (Reilly, 2006, 1).Winnipeg General Strike (social) After the war, Canadian factories that manufactured war supplies were permanently closed. This produced a lot of unemployment and bankruptcy. The cost to live was increasing dramatically and many people (who were still employed) could not compete with the inflation.
What was the most famous strike in Canada?
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most famous and influential strikes in Canadian history.
Why did Vulcan go on strike in Winnipeg?
Two months into the strike, the Winnipeg Trades Council passed a motion declaring Vulcan as “unfair to organized labour.” The motion resulted from Vulcan’s refusal to negotiate with its striking workers as well as the company’s importation of strikebreakers from Eastern Canada and the United States.
How did the First World War affect Winnipeg?
Winnipeg mansion, 1924. Wealthy Winnipeggers built lavish homes south of the city’s downtown. By 1912, the city’s economy was in a downturn. The First World War exacerbated problems as wages could not keep pace with high inflation, leading to a rise in unemployment.