100th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General
Strike
Canadian Workers' Proud History of Organized Resistance and Defence of Rights
Rally June 4, 1919, outside the building which housed the citizen's
committee.
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Winnipeg
General Strike. On May First 1919, discouraged by post-war inflation
and unemployment, Winnipeg's metal and building workers went on strike,
demanding higher wages. Winnipeg's building trade workers walked out to
gain better wages and hours. They were joined by iron workers who were
fighting for company recognition of their union, the Metal Trades
Council. On May 15, with the overwhelming support of its 12,000
members, the Winnipeg Labour Council called a general strike. Thirty
thousand union and non-union people walked off the job. Among the first
out were the city's telephone workers. Winnipeg had no phone service
for a week. Strikes were organized in Edmonton and Calgary in support
of the Winnipeg General Strike.
The context for this strike was the grave economic
crisis in which Britain and by extension Canada found themselves
following World War I, as well as the unconscionable treatment the
workers received when they returned from fighting the trench warfare in
which thousands were sent to the most horrible death in the euphoria
for empire which preceded the war. Thousands more died following the
war of the Spanish flu. The war quickly smashed that euphoria, leaving
Canada at a crossroads, not only flailing in the throes of an economy
whose old basis had been smashed by the war but also without an aim
rooted in the former empire-building. The service of governments to
alien interests and the moloch of capital, with which the workers
definitely did not identify, put a severe strain on the ability of
governments to maintain labour peace.
The government of Canada along with the provincial
government also
clearly feared a revolution similar to the one that had just happened
in Russia. They spread lies that claimed "immigrants" were behind the
strike. The Government of Canada amended the Immigration Act so that
even British-born immigrants who in those days were
automatically granted citizenship rights, could be deported. It
mobilized the police forces against the striking workers and resorted
to violence to crush the strike. The response of government to the
terrible plight the workers were in at that time clearly revealed the
role of the state in suppressing the struggles of the workers who had
just sacrificed
so much in the trench warfare of World War I.
In June, the federal authorities officially resorted to
deportation
threats to suppress working class politics, even though they attempted
to deceive the public by avoiding the word "political" in their
accusations. Amendments to Section 41 of the Immigration Act
defined "a prohibited immigrant" as "anyone interested in overthrowing
organized government either in the Empire (at the provincial level in
Canada too) or in general, or in destroying property, or promoting riot
or public disorder, or belonging to a secret organization trying to
control people by threat or blackmail."[1]
After nearly a month, Winnipeg's mayor called out special
constables whose presence just fuelled the strikers' fire. Their
leaders were arrested. The North West Mounted Police (which became the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920) and special constables fired on
the workers, killing two men. An additional 34 people were wounded and
80 arrested. A few days later, on June 21, the strike ended with a
protest
march organized by war veterans.
The Winnipeg General Strike became known as the largest
social
revolt in Canadian history which is subject of many studies relating
not only to the role of the government and police forces but also to
the
role played by unions, communists, socialists and the traditional
political parties. The significance of this strike and of the times in
which
it took place will be further explored for the information of our
readers.
Note
1. Barbara Roberts, Whence
They Came: Deportation from Canada (Ottawa: University of Ottawa
Press, 1988), p. 84.
This article was published in
Number 18 - May 16, 2019
Article Link:
100th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General
Strike: Canadian Workers' Proud History of Organized Resistance and Defence of Rights
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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