The Winnipeg General Strike

8 Pages 1993 Words

ideology regarding industrial-class labour unions. However, the anti-union business community generally ran the city ensuring that the working-class was politically powerless. Many of the political leaders came from poor backgrounds and generally followed social Darwinism because they were not yet confident about their new role as wealthy people.5 These individuals scorned those who turned to unionization to protect their jobs and living standards. Ultimately, both sides were very firm in their beliefs creating intense conflict between business and labour. The local conflicts between the two groups generally revolved around local unions beginning to see the need for collective action on getting union recognition for all Winnipeg workers. Historically, neither side has been able to come to a compromise creating a history of bitter strikes in Winnipeg. One significant strike occurred in 1918 when the city workers in Winnipeg launched a successful strike. In reaction to union attempts to obtain higher wages for civic employees, council member, Alderman F.O. Fowler amended the contract proposal to include a provision that required civic employees to take a pledge that they would never strike as a condition of employment.6 The amendment put the city council on record as opposing any right to strike for civic employees and defined the government’s position within the battle between labour and business. The successful civic employee strike of 1918 taught workers what a general strike could achieve. Workers learned that they could be successful if all the unions in all the industries united against the capitalists. Cleary “the roots of the general strike are intricately intertwined with the social and industrial development of the city and the bitter animosities between labour and management.”7
Labour conditions were unacceptable and in need of reform. Although the working conditions within industry were dangerous and unhealthy...