The Roaring Life in Canada
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Transcript of The Roaring Life in Canada
THE ROARING LIFE IN CANADAOR, HOW WE BECAME MORE AMERICAN
WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE - 1919• Relationship between Canadian workers and employers
becoming explosive
• Unions had become stronger during the war
• Winnipeg Trades and Labour Union wanted:• Better wages• Working conditions• Recognition of their collective bargaining rights
WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE - 1919Bloody Saturday – June 21, 1919
Predict: How might these images relate? How might they differ? What is going on in each?
Think, Pair, Share
Winnipeg General Strike
North Main Street, 21 June 1919, resulting in 30 casualties and one death
The Lead UpWinnipeg-Largest Western City
The Lead Up1. Soldiers
-Lack of gov’t aid (pension, medical)
-Few jobs
-Resented rich employers (factory owners)
Returning WWI soldiers at Union Station, Winnipeg,
1919
Canadian Soldiers, WW1
Returning home, 1919
The Lead Up
2. Workers
-Poor pay-Poor conditions
Rules of the Workplace(Cigar Factory)
• 10 hrs make up a day's work
• No one is allowed to stop work during working hours
• All employees to be search before leaving the factory
• Loud or profane talking strictly prohibited.
• All employees wasting or dropping tobacco on the floor will be fined for each offence.
• Hair combing not allowed in the factory
The Lead Up3. Influenza (Flu) Epidemic
-Passed along CPR lines-Hit Winnipeg hard
(1918/19)
The Lead Up4. Communist Influences
-Russian Revolution (1919)-”Worker’s Unite!”
-No private ownership -High Russian Population
Power In NumbersUnions
-organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals
Power In NumbersO.B.U. “One Big Union” (1919)
-Represents all Canadian workers
-Main Weapon: GENERAL STRIKE!!
Strike Committee 1919
Power In NumbersCollective Bargaining
-1 bargains on behalf of the whole
e.g. Union leaders negotiate with a company for better wages/ conditions for workers(union members.
How It All Went Down1. Metal Workers Walk Out (May 1919)
Demands:-higher wages (85 cents/hour)-shorter work week (60 hrs/wk -> 44) -Right to collective bargaining
How It All Went Down2. GENERAL STRIKE!
-30,000 Support Strike
-Strike Committee-Winnipeg ground to a
halt!
How It All Went Down3. Citizen’s Committee of 1,000
-Business leaders, politicians,factory owners
-Create Special Police Force-Arrest strike leaders-Fire civic workers-“Sedition”
-threatening the state
Citizen’s Committee of 1000
How It All Went Down4. Bloody Saturday (June 21, 1919)
-Parade: workers protest
-N.W.M.P. charge the crowd-1 dead, 30 injured-Many arrested
How It All Went Down5. Workers Defeated
-Back to Work (Monday June 22, 1919)-43 day protest ends
Results1. Many strikers were not rehired
Results2. Some strikers were rehired, but forced to sign a contract:
Forbidding union involvement
Results3. 7 arrested leaders served
prison time
J.S. Woodsworth:-formed the Cooperative Commonwealth
Federation (CCF) NDP
Summary 1. Winnipeg in a fragile state,
unhappy masses 2. Workers STRIKE to protest unrest3. City grinds to a halt4. Citizen’s Committee of 1000
opposes5. Bloody Saturday – violence
erupts6. Workers return back to work
POLITICAL CHANGE AFTER WWIRobert Borden resigned shortly after WWI, due to his bad health
Arthur Meighen became the leader of the Conservatives and Canada’s 9th Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King (Liberal) and Meighen dominated politics throughout the 1920s
• They hated each other.
A NEW LOOK AT GOVERNMENT
LIBERALReformer, conciliatory, always looking for the middle path that wouldn’t offend anyone.
CONSERVATIVEBelieved in principals
over compromise, didn’t care who might be
offended by his stand on issues
ARTHUR MEIGHEN - CONSERVATIVEHelped draft Military Service Act (conscription)
Authored War Measures Act
Crushed Winnipeg General Strike
1920 – Recession caused Meighen to become widely disliked by workers, farmers, immigrants and Quebecers
Lost election of 1921 to King
WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE KING
Elected in 1921
Liberals (118 seats); Conservatives (48); Progressives (59)
Elected 1925
Formed a majority with help from Progressives King would be prime
minister for 22 of the next 27 years.
RUM RUNNERShttp://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2012/08/rum-runners.html