Do you think the federal government was justified in its crushing of the Winnipeg General Strike? Why?
Answers
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and became the platform for future labour reforms. Massive unemployment and inflation, dismal wages and working conditions, and the success of the Russian Revolution all contributed to labour unrest at the time. Labour leaders from across Western Canada met to form "One Big Union."
Negotiations broke down between management and labour in the building and metal trades in May of that year and a general strike was called. At stake were the principle of collective bargaining, better wages and the improvement of working conditions. Within hours almost 30,000 workers had left their jobs. Even essential public employees such as firefighters went on strike.
Opposition to the strike was organized by the Citizen's Committee that was formed shortly after the strike began by Winnipeg's most influential citizens. The committee declared the strike a revolutionary conspiracy led by a small group of "alien scum."
The Royal Commission which investigated the strike concluded that the strike was not a criminal conspiracy by foreigners and suggested that "if Capital does not provide enough to assure Labour a contented existence ... then the Government might find it necessary to step in and let the state do these things at the expense of Capital."