Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 (Plain-Language Summary)
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was the biggest strike in Canadian history. A “strike” means that workers refuse to go to work. A “general strike” is a type of strike in which workers from different industries go on strike at the same time. (See also Strikes and Lockouts; Labour Organization.) The Winnipeg General Strike took place between 15 May and 25 June 1919. Factory workers, store workers and transit workers went on strike. Some workers from the public sector, such as policemen, firemen and postal workers joined the strike. Approximately 30,000 workers went on strike. The main goal of the strike was to improve working conditions. The federal government believed the strikers wanted to start a communist revolution. It called in the Royal North-West Mounted Police to stop it. Many strikers were arrested. Some were hurt. And two people were killed. The strike proved to be tragic. But it convinced some Canadians to take the plight of workers very seriously. One of these Canadians was J.S. Woodsworth. He helped form the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. It was a socialist labour party. (See Socialism). One of its main goals was to help workers.
(This article is a plain-language summary of the Winnipeg General Strike. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry, Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.)