The Winnineg Genertl St:-ike
-
A Stuclv lrr Birs
The Storv of the trVinnineg General Strike
In the years immediateiy after World War I demands from workers for shorter hours, higher wages,
better working conditions, and even a political role for worker political parlies grew across Canida.
The outcry led to an outbreak of strikes in many parcs of the country. The one in Winnipeg grew
in
size and violence until it became Canada's most famous strike.
The Winnipeg strike started in 1919 among metal workers who wanted a 44 hour work week
and a
wage oi85t an hour. Their strikegained sympathyfrom otherworkers and spread quicklyuntil
it
became a general strike right acrossthe citywith35 000 of the200 000 cirizens on strike.
Buildinq
construction stopped, factories closed down, stores closed, and firemen,. street cleaners, garbage
collectors, express, telegraph, and telephone company employees joined the strikers.
The strike also quickJy became a bitter one. Public opinion hardened on one side or the other. Some
accused the srrikers of being communists who were following orders from Moscow and were trying
ro
overthrow the Canadian way of life. Cthers defbnded the strikers and said they were only claiming
what they righrfully deserved.
As the words became violent, so too did the actions. The authorities swore in special police and the
Royal North-West Mounted Police and army units were brought on in large numbers. The streets
were patrolled bytrucks fiom which protruded the muzz.les of machine guns. Citizens not
participating in the strike tried to help the authorities by carrying our essentiai services.
Eventualiy the inevitable happened when soldiers and police ended up in blcody battle with strikers
in
the streets of the city. Finally, the strikewas broken, the leaders *.i. u.r.rteC anci orderwas
restored. The strike left feelings, however, ihat were a long time disappearing.
The lVinnineg Geler:rl Strike ls a Study in Bias:
Because the Winnipeg General Strike so divided people and so arouseci people's feelings,
it provides
fbr history students an excellent case for cieveioping skills in the detection and underst*aing
of bias.
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fixed point of view.
\Vhat follows are severai remarks about the Winnipeg Generai Strike or events during the strike made
by pecole who were on rhe scene ar rhe tine and held specific poinrs of view. As you read each oi
iiro;;'-';:, rhe bias each wrir:r bnngs to his or her comments. (Sone of the readines have
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TEt0 WE\TIIFEG GEhTRAI, SFRfi(E - A STT,BY [h{ BLAS
The Wiruripeg Generai Srike caused a great stir among the Canadian population. It
seemed everyone had an opinion about the strike. As a resuit, this particular strike
provides history sn:dents with an excellent case study for developing skills in the
detection and understanding of bias.
What follows are a few remarks about the Winnipeg General Srike made by people
whom witnessed it at the time. You will notice that each individual presents a different
and specific point of view. As you read each of the viewnoints rrv ro identify the bias
each writer brines to his or her commeffs.
Diff'erent Viewpoints on the Winnipee G€neral Strike
(i) The Western Labour News, N{ay 17, 1919 (This paper was published by the strike
committee).
'There is good reason for congratuiating both the strike committee and the citizen's
committee for their conduct up to now during the strike. Both sides have been more
orderiy than a crowd at a basebail game."
(2)
A concerned Winnipeg citizen, Rev.
excerpt from his diary, May 20,1919
Dr. John Maclearl Methodist Minisrer,
an
"'We are under controi of communists in Winnipeg, lduring the general strikes].
Everything is quiet but tlere are some ugly rumours floating around. The Home Defence
Guards must be ready for action at a given signal."
(3) A Wirrnipeg housewife, whose husband belongs to a union.
"Last Monday, when the new postman a:rived at my home on Portage Street in Winnipeg
to deiiver a letter, I asked him to wait a moment and went inside. I brought a box of
ointment from the house with me, and presented it to him. He asked, 'What is this for?',
and I replied, ' ob that is avery fine ointment for a scab, lstrike breaker].,"
(4) The Wimipeg Citizeq May 17,1919 (This was a major daily newspaper in Winnipeg
ar rhe time).
"We wish to say to the general public of Wimipeg that quite clearly this is not a strike at
ali as we know it but a revolution. There is an attempt in all this effort by the strike
leaders to dest'oy otr system of government and replace it wifi a communist system
of
government in Russia."
(5) An account of "Bloody Saturda/'
"On Saturday, just as the demonsfration of war veterans was to begiq 50 Mourties
swlnging baseball bats rode into the demonstrators. The crowd let them pass through
without any violence on their part. But all they met with were boos and catcalls.
However, orders were given that revolvers be drawn and they charged the crowd, fuitrg
as they proceeded. One man was ki11ed during this char-ee because he thought the
Mounties were only shooting blanks. Some people who were opposed to the strike
cheered as the Mountie man-kiilers rode by. There is no exact list of casualties for this
event but it was more than 30,"
Stri*,en o!€r-turfl d ttzeetcsr as yioknce s'utetps the ttrcefr: tlze 1919 Gcneral Strihe uas
qvr"
T ? T
Wlniarpeg expicced
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!
on usocdy -aturcay
Canada wa-s beset by problems at the end of tlc Grear
of 19141918. More rlan a half-million velenns, many
'War
of a\em woirnded in body a:rd mind, had to be reintegrated
into sociery. The galloping iafladon of w:nime had to be
ch€rJ<C, and dirtisions between French- and English+P€alirng Gnadirns, caused by conscripdon, had ro bc repaired
Above a.ll, in a world egog at the Russian Revoiudon drat
b:d toppled the ear 'n I9I7, su"ife berwecn iabour and
caoid had ro bc mocierared
For Canad.ians, rhe dimacic banle bet*een business
and workcrs w:s ioughr in \i-rnnipcg in cfre lare
ryn''g of 1919. The"immeciiate issue-in vir:,ripcg
,*sl;.d around a strikc by mer:1 and consauction
workers for union recogrLidon and higher wages.
Fn:su'ard in rieir efforo, dre sulkcrs called for a gcneral
su-i-ke on May 15, urd wirhin &yt *.q'union loca-l irr rhc
dry w-as off che job. Ac least 20,000 non-u-nion workers
zuoponed rhe general scrike, as ciid nraay remrned soldien.
\{t'urnipcgs Cicizrru' Commiar of One Thous:.nd,
composed of business and indLsuial leaCers" beiieved *rar it
flSrotrC for C.ar:ada and *re C:'r:di:'r wav of life. The
"t=t
fbder:l govemment w?s equa.iiy xiamanr i:: ia opoosition to
rhe suike; Lnresi, even revolurion wzs in '.}'e air Lr Cana&
L1 I9 19, anJ a "r:C ;cre" ippeo cre la-nd. lr:un-gr:.na'
espedalll; w€ri susDecc. The arml'w:s pLaeC on scandby.
The prerert for federal inrervencion wzs, odd11', mij!
a,nd bread. So frat people couJd gec fre basic necessides,
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6F]'t
h.borr't hst real challznge to caP;ul;sm
t
r che comrninec of workers direcdng thc saikc dCarcd
i *rar ir would pcrmit delivcria of esscndals. To cLre govcrni ment, e\is was a challenge. Who was nrnnirrs *re cir.rr
i sulk.ts or elected ,.p.oinodvoi tn Or.awich. *ini**
: of *re inrerior, Arrlur Meidco, orderd army and police
i:^reinforce.meno.
I On June 21, W-ranipeg e<ploded Offdrc job ior 6ve
i weela, &e srikcrs werc ou! of noney and padenca They
i bumed a $r€rcar, tie Mor.:ntcd Policc durgC thc crowd,
i and when a Mor::rcic fell off'his horsc arrd was bcatcn,
i ,l-r* fu"d at the scrikcrs. Onc dcmonso-ator did at oncc,
moved in,
i anorher soon a.fter, soldiers witl machincguns
i a:rd "Bloody Sarur&y' brokc ehe 'l?lnnipcg Geneml Srrikc! On hrne ?,6. rhe strike commirree caoitr:lated in rcmrn for
i rhe promisc of a royal commjssion into rhe ssikcb car:ses.
i Th. ie<ieral govemmcnr took iu revenge anci cieponC
i foreign-bom sqike lcadcrs. tv{eighen, his tougnr:ess haiid
, by Hr cabiner and caucus and-J:cby businessmcn, became
i pri*. mirrister in 1920. But rC winner was Mackenzie
i Ki.nS eleaed Libenl lcader wo mondu after Bloodv
i Saru-rday. IC:rg was a l:,bour erpelt, ihe audror of a book
i on relacioru betwecn labour a,rd caoial, anci dre man who
i s"emed eracdy righr for r,\e imes. ICng wcn $e 192i
i deion, dieaci-rg Me[hen, arci he n:-leci for mosc oirhe
i nexr 27 years. For ia parc, o€?rrized labour, cowd by rhe
i 6erce govemment respons€ to dle General Scrile, never
i
mou-nrC a seiious Callenge to capirrli.r Canada
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