What is Bloody Saturday Winnipeg General Strike CBC?
It was June 21, a defining day of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike that became known as Bloody Saturday. The nighttime raids and arrests of labour leaders on June 16 and 17 were an aggressive move by the government to try to stamp out the strike by attacking it at the top.
Who was responsible for bloody Saturday?
Bloody Saturday 1919 Strike by George Siamandas. Winnipeg’s 42 Day Mini-Revolution? On June 21 1919, near the end of the Winnipeg General Strike, saw the occurrence of the tragic event called “Bloody Saturday.” Two men were killed and 27 others injured as strikers fought the North West Mounted Police.
Where did the Winnipeg General Strike happen?
The Winnipeg general strike of 1919 was one of the most famous and influential strikes in Canadian history. For six weeks, May 15 to June 26, more than 30,000 strikers brought economic activity to a standstill in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which at the time was Canada’s third largest city.
What did the Winnipeg General Strike accomplish?
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.
Who is most responsible for bloody Saturday during the Winnipeg General Strike?
The Royal North-West Mounted Police charged at the protestors, beating them with clubs and firing bullets. The violence injured about 30 people and killed two. Known as Bloody Saturday, the day ended with federal troops occupying the city’s streets.
Who were the specials in the Winnipeg General Strike?
The business community hired and equipped 1,800 special constables to contain strike mobilizations and crack down on public assembly, alongside the Royal North-West Mounted Police, who were brought in to the city. The special constables, or “Specials,” provoked a riot on June 10 after attempting to disperse a crowd.
What was the outcome of Bloody Saturday?
At City Hall, the crowd began to vandalize a streetcar. The Royal North-West Mounted Police charged at the protestors, beating them with clubs and firing bullets. The violence injured about 30 people and killed two. Known as Bloody Saturday, the day ended with federal troops occupying the city’s streets.
Why did most returned soldiers support the strike?
For some veterans, it was clear upon their return from Europe that big business had profited from the war at the expense of the workers. They saw the strike as a means to gain employment, higher wages, the right to collective bargaining, and better working conditions.
What is the difference between a strike and a general strike?
Whereas strikes in the United States are usually undertaken by workers at a single company (like McDonald’s workers going on strike last year to demand a higher minimum wage) or within a single industry (like a teacher strike), a general strike encompasses workers in as many industries as possible and might disrupt the …
What were the long term consequences of the Winnipeg General Strike?
In the aftermath, a small number of people were deported and many more strikers lost their jobs. However, this defeat didn’t lead to union rights as they exist today. Those were instituted starting in 1944 to quell a massive wave of law-defying strikes during the Second World War.
Who started the Winnipeg General Strike?
On May 1, 1919, Winnipeg’s building and metal workers went on strike for higher wages. Two weeks later, the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council appealed for a general strike in support of the metal workers. The response was overwhelming. The first to walk out were the “Hello Girls,” Winnipegs telephone operators.