Post War Canada
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Rise of Communism
Workers Respond
Winnipeg General Strike
Soldiers Return Home
• An Uneasy
Adjustment
- Few support services
(physically and mentally
wounded)
- Few jobs
Dissatisfied Workers
• Many Canadians agreed to low
wages as part of their patriot
duty for the war effort
• After the war
- Inflation caused major
problems as wages no
longer covered the cost of
rent and food
Workers demanded
more Money!
Rise of Communism
• After WWI people around the
world dissatisfied about rich
and poor divide
• 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in
Russia
• Under Communism:
- All means of production and
distribution are publically
owned
- No private ownership of
business or land
Communism in Canada
• Never gained widespread
support
• BUT...
• The ideas of these
revolutionaries inspired
Canadian workers to try
to improve working
conditions
Worker’s Demands
•
-
3 main demands of workers
Higher wages
Better working conditions
The right to join unions
• These demands resulted in numerous strikes
across Canada
- 4 years of labour wars in Eastern Canada
One Big Union
• Labour Union founded at the Western Labour
Conference March 1919
- To represent all Canadian workers
• Goal
- To help workers gain more control of industry and the
government through peaceful means
• Main Weapon
- The general strike, a walk out by all employed workers
Winnipeg General Strike 1919
• Post war labour disputes peaked in Winnipeg
- The financial center and largest city in Western Canada
• Metal and Building trade workers demanded
- Higher wages
- Shorter work week
- Right to collective bargaining
May 1919 Negotiations Broke Down
• Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council voted for a
General Strike
- 30 000 people
- Crippled the city
• Sympathizers joined the strike
- Firefighters, post Office, transport, communication
Opponents of the Strike
• Opposed bargaining with
strike leaders
• Feared trade unions
would lead to a
communist uprising like
in Russia
- Red Scare!!
Citizen’s Committee of 1000
• Anti Strike Organization
• Saw the union leaders as
part of a communist
conspiracy to overthrow
the government
• Convinced City leaders to
fire the police and
replaced them with
special task force
Federal Intervention
• Federal Government feared
protest could spread
• Changed the Criminal
Code of Canada
- Foreign born strike leaders
could be arrested and
deported without trial
(anyone who was believed to be
starting a revolution)
Bloody Saturday June 21 1919
• Strikers parade to protest
firing of police and
special task force creation
• Royal NWMP and task
force charged the crowd
resulting in a clash
• 1 striker died, 30
wounded, and many
arrested
Defeated Strikers
• Returned to work after 43 day strike
• 7 arrested leaders served 2 months to 2 years in
prison
• Many not rehired or had to sign contract
promising to never join a union
• Royal Commission investigation found that
strikers complaints valid
J.S, Woodsworth
• Social reformer arrested
during the strike
• Formed the Co-Operative
Commonwealth
Federation
• Became the New
Democratic Party