A strike is a refusal to work organized by a body of employees as a form of protest, typically in an attempt to gain a concession or concessions from their employer. (www.dictionary.com) Although many Canadian companies had enjoyed enormous profits on World War I contracts, wages and working conditions were dismal and labour regulations were mostly non-existent. There were a lot of changes before and after the strike which effected Canada globally, socially, and economically. The following essay will demonstrate how in all of Canadian history, with Labour Union Movements and protest against the employers, the Winnipeg General Strike was one of the most explosive and meaningful of all previously recorded general strikes throughout Canadian history. …show more content…
An exact day later the “Metal Trades Council” announced a strike of employees. The three main areas of Winnipeg joined in the strike and abandoned their work. The second degree of the strike was when the Winnipeg Building Council and the Metal Trades Council went to the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council (TLC) and confessed about this issue. The third degree of the strike was when the TLC came to an agreement. The agreement was that they wanted to survey all unions on a responsive strike. After the survey was held a general strike committee was formed which consisted of 300 people. 8,667 people stood up for the strike and only 645 against the strike. The final degree of the strike was when on May 15th at 11:00am, the actual strike began. Most of the employees followed the union members and all of the people involved in this strike were now …show more content…
Most of these arrests were taken place at night. There were 10 leaders of the “Central Strike Committee (CSC)” and 2 propagandists of a new group called “One Big Union.” One of the main leaders that was arrested was J.S Woodsworth. J.s Woodsworth became the first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), democratic socialist party that later became the New Democratic Party (NDP). When the strikers came to know about these arrests they were filled with fury, and so the ultimate major movement in the strike began. All of the strikers gathered in Winnipeg’s Market Square and violence started in action. Leaders of the strike insulted the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP). After a couple of minutes the RNWMP disembarked on the strikers, harming them with clubs and firing weapons. As a consequence 2 people were killed as well as 30 people were injured. The Winnipeg General Strike is recognized as “Bloody Saturday” because it was the day that had the most violence. The Canadian army was also out on the streets because they doubted more violence. Precisely 42 days from the beginning of the strike, on June 26th, the strike was over. The leaders of the strike did not want more violence and they also feared that the RNWMP would get involved more so they chose to finally end the
The 1919 steel strike was an attempt to organize the United States steel industry after World War One. The strike lasted about five months, and was unsuccessful. It began on September 21, 1919, and collapsed on January 8, 1920. It was started by the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, or the AA. The AA had formed in 1876. It was a union of iron and steel workers which was very committed to creating unionism, but advancements in technology had decreased the amount of skilled workers in the industries.
Tensions between union supporters and management began mounting in the years preceding the strike. In April of 1994, the International Union led a three-week strike against major tracking companies in the freight hauling industry in attempts to stop management from creating $9 per hour part-time positions. This would only foreshadow battles to come between management and union. Later, in 1995, teamsters mounted an unprecedented national union campaign in attempts to defeat the labor-management “cooperation” scheme that UPS management tried to establish in order to weaken the union before contract talks (Witt, Wilson). This strike was distinguished from other strikes of recent years in that it was an offensive strike, not a defensive one. It was a struggle in which the union was prepared, fought over issues which it defined, and one which relied overwhelmingly on the efforts of the members themselves (http://www.igc.org/dbacon/Strikes/07ups.htm).
How were revolutionary industrial unionists in Winnipeg influenced to strike in 1919? All Canadians have heard of the Winnipeg General Strike, and many have studied its influences. Coming immediately after the First World War, yet coming before the Great Depression hit, many wonder why Winnipeg workers took up arms when they did? In truth, the strikers were primarily industrial unionists who wanted a revolution. The strikers were aiming for a major difference in the government. Now, to the non-Canadian, Canada has always seemed perfectly calm and neutral. Many would go as far as wondering how Canada could ever have any problems. Therefore, hardly anybody knows of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, let alone what caused the strike. Simply put, revolutionary industrial unionists within Canada were influenced to strike by Canada’s involvement in the First World War, the quick and incredible success of Russia’s revolution in 1917, and inflation within the country.
1919 Winnipeg General Strike was Canada's most influential labour action. After World War I many Canadian soldiers returned home to find few opportunities, all while companies had enjoyed enormous profits on war contracts. Wages and working conditions were dismal and labour regulations were mostly non-existent.
The history of Canada was flooded with many influential and incredible events, particularly during World War 1 and World War 2. During the 20th century, Canada got more involved in worldwide events. It was a very important period for Canada; it was where they gained their independence and progressed as a country. After this century, Canada was considered an important and powerful country. The three main 20th century events in Canadian history are the battle of Vimy Ridge, the change of woman’s rights and the battle of Juno Beach.
The organization of IWW was the first of many strikes brought up by Zinn. The IWW’s strike may have been one of the biggest and most fearful strikes of the time period. The strike started in February 1919 in Seattle, WA. The walkout of nearly 100,000 workers brought the city to a substantial halt for five days. The strike was quiet and orderly, citizens handled it quite well. The strikers organized milk
The Pullman Strike of 1894 was the first national strike in American history and it came about during a period of unrest with labor unions and controversy regarding the role of government in business.5 The strike officially started when employees organized and went to their supervisors to ask for a lowered rent and were refused.5 The strike had many different causes. For example, workers wanted higher wages and fewer working hours, but the companies would not give it to them; and the workers wanted better, more affordable living quarters, but the companies would not offer that to them either. These different causes created an interesting and controversial end to the Pullman strike. Because of this, questions were raised about the strike that are still important today. Was striking a proper means of getting what the workers wanted? Were there better means of petitioning their grievances? Was government intervention constitutional? All these questions were raised by the Pullman Strike.
“’There was no union whatever in Graniteville S.C. before the National Industrial Recovery act was make law as the Employers would not allow ti… they would discharge anyone who joined a Union, but after the Law was passed and put in effect, we thought that we would be protected by the Federal Government [and] that no Employer could discharge any worker becau7se they joined a Union of their own choosing.’ On June 19, 1933, just three days after roosevelt signed the NIRA, she paid her dues and became a full member of the TWUA… On August 8 the second hand got orders to fire her on the grounds that she couln’t keep up her work. If her work had not been satifactory, she concluded, they would have fired her long before. They ‘discharged me for joining the Union.’” (Hall 306-307)
The government has truly been molding Canada into the wonderful country that it is today. Whether the changes have been good or bad, the government has always been trying their best to solve problems such as takes high income, racism, and making sure that Canada is seen as the cleanest and economically friendly place that it is today. However, Pierre Elliot Trudeau was unique and impacted Canadians in a positive way. He was an intelligent, and strategic man, when dealing with many different types of crisis’s, such as the economic crisis. Always put his citizens before himself, and felt that everyone should be treated equally with their own individual rights. Obviously, without Pierre Trudeau,
In addition to these street demonstrations, there were massive waves of workers’ strikes in the mines and steel mills. At first, the government tried to threaten the protesters; the Committee of National Defense announced preparations for a national state of emergency. By the determination of the workers, the Communist realized that talks with the unofficial trade union were unavoidable. The actions of the workers’ forced the Communist regime to begin talking about the trade union movement called Solidarity.... ... middle of paper ... ...(1989 Twenty Years
On May 9th 1934 a organized labor strike started in San Francisco that would snowball into a city crippling strike. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) declared a strike for all longshoremen on the west coast, until they received better wages, a union-administered hiring hall, and union membership as a prerequisite for employed longshoremen. The Strike of 1934 lasted for three months, stopping maritime trade in the ports of the Western United States, from San Diego to Seattle. The clash was between the Industrial Association (IA), composed of big business and employers wanting to break the strike, and the ILA, along with other unions that dealt with maritime trades. The Strike of 1934 displayed the power the organized labor had, and how the mistreatment of labor can shut down an entire city and coast.
The strike affected much of the country, and it had great influence on public opinion on the rights of workers. It showed how the roles of management and the roles of government handled this situation. The Pullman Strike of 1894 and its aftermath had a huge effect on the course of the labor movement in the United States. The use of federal troops and the labor injunction sent a message to U.S. workers that would not change until the new deal of the 1930s. George Pullman was no longer look at as the great enlightened employer who took care of his workers, but a greedy intolerant man. After the strike he was worried that people would rob him so when he was buried he had it lined in concrete so no one could. The Pullman strike ultimately was unsuccessful at the time. Workers were sent to jail and many couldn’t find any jobs after. Although, it was successful in several ways. The federal government was involved for the first time in history because of a strike, and because they all took a stand for their human rights it impacted the future and how workers are treated
Organizing a topic as diverse as Canadian history into periods is challenging. Canadian history spans hundreds of years, covers events from varying points of views, and contains dimensions of culture, theme, and politics. To understand how to organize history logically into periods, it is helpful to refer to Canadian history sources.
Canadians were frustrating, wonderful, and hard. Soldiers returning from the war expected jobs, but were faced with unemployment, inflation and strikes. Inflation had doubled the cost of living where wages had not and those fortunate to be employed still faced immense financial difficulty. Many people joined unions for better pay and working conditions, 1919 saw the most strikes at a staggering three hundred and six, people were angry and discontented. The 1920s were a time of crime corruption and extreme poverty, yet by mid era difficult conditions began to improve. Foreign investors gained confidence in Canada and as a result new industries were developed, The twenties really did 'roar' and with this boom of change Canada underwent the transformation that was the gateway to the future.
The Winnipeg General Strike The year of 1919 has been one of the most influential years of strikes