The Impact Of The Winnipeg General Strike In Canada

The Winnipeg General Strike was, and still is, one of the most important events in Canadian history which led to the working conditions today. The event was triggered in Winnipeg when negotiations between the employees and employers who worked in the building and metal trades completely broke down. On May 15, 1919 the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council called a general strike where everyone would be involved, voluntarily or not. The strike brought a new awareness to people all across Canada that sat of different social classes. Normal citizens were affected then and today because of the impact of the strike; it brought light to the harsh working conditions to Canadians in the 1920s, increased interest in unions today, and formed the long term

Employers, politicians, and business leaders had rising worry over the reveal of employment standards and rebellion of workers. “The strike, which was over better wages and working conditions as well as the right to collective bargaining, inspired sympathy strikes across the country, raising the level of paranoia among the ruling elite”⁴ (Lu). The strikers' impact hit hard on those who controlled society, the elites’ worry proves that the strike was working to fight for their safety and employment standard. The strikers' approach to protesting was non-violent and was painted in a bloodier picture by the higher-ups of the working class in retaliation to the noise created. “Caught up in the hysteria of the time, leading members of the city’s establishment denounced the strike as a revolutionary conspiracy led by a small group of “alien scum”⁵ (Government of Canada). Those who controlled workplaces showed their recognition of the problems of mistreatment, however, instead of aiming to fix those issues they shifted the blame on the European workers and communists. One of the strike leaders became a politician to address the issues that strikers were fighting against. “Woodsworth helped found the Canadian Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which eventually became the New Democratic Party”⁶ (Lu).

People today feel free to stand up for their rights as workers to the federal government because of the influence that the Winnipeg General Strike had on Canada. “Although many of the workers lost their jobs and suffered great personal losses after the general strike was quashed, they are credited with linking labour and political action and helping to enact laws years later that would protect workers''⁹ (Lu). Without the Winnnipeg General Strike, mistreated workers and employees would have a difficult time speaking up about their concerns, especially to the government. However, the strikers showed that people will listen if you fight for the cause. Overall, the federal government was impacted by the Winnipeg General Strike through the acts that were placed to protect Canadian workers and the confidence in speech that employees have because of the strikers