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Labour Problems

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Now that the demand for production had decreased, so did the need for ... www.civilization.ca/hist/labour/ en.wikipedia.org (search for Winnipeg General Strike) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Labour Problems


1
Labour Problems
  • war-time industries slowing down
  • Women pressured to stay at home
  • so returning soldiers could have jobs
  • Jobs were hard to find
  • Many veterans of the war flooded the job market.
  • Some industries had become very wealthy because
    of the war
  • Now that the demand for production had
    decreased, so did the need for people to work

2
Inflation
  • Rising costs of goods and services and the cost
    of living
  • During the war, prices had increased greatly.
  • Wages had also gone up but had not kept pace with
    rising prices.
  • Between 1914 and 1919, the cost of living had
    doubled.

3
Unions and Strikes
  • In 1919
  • Low employment
  • No unemployment insurance (EI)
  • No workers compensation
  • No pensions
  • Many poor working conditions
  • Laws favoured the employers

4
  • Thousands joined unions to fight for workers
    rights
  • Many employers did not take these unions
    seriously
  • In many cases the only way for workers to make
    their demands heard was to go on strike.
  • Three easy ways out for employers.
  • 1) injunction
  • 2) strikebreakers (scabs)
  • 3) strikers would be replaced
  • and lose their jobs

5
Winnipeg General Strike
  • Worker unrest came to a head on May 1st, 1919
  • The Building and Metal Trades Council (union)
    voted to go on strike.
  • May 15th, 30,000 other workers in the city walked
    off of their jobs.
  • Many sympathy strikes occurred in major cities in
    Canada.
  • The strike spread from industry to industry in
    Winnipeg and the city came to a stand-still. Even
    essential service workers refused to go to their
    jobs.

6
  • Two hostile camps (Workers vs. Owners)
  • The owners accused the workers of trying to start
    a revolution and the Canadian Govt became
    alarmed.
  • The govt made changes to the Criminal Code and
    announced stiff penalties for those suspected of
    trying to start a revolution.
  • On June 21st (Bloody Saturday) a protest march of
    striking workers began and became violent. The
    Mounties tried to restore orderin the endone
    man had been killed and 30 others injured.
  • Five days later, the striking unions ordered the
    workers back to their jobthe strike was over.

7
(No Transcript)
8
Failure or Not?
  • To many workersyes
  • 1) not successful
  • 2) many lost their jobs
  • 3) branded as troublemakers
  • 4) forced to sign yellow-dog contracts
  • 5) a lot of bitterness and resentment
  • 6) new laws made to prevent strikes
  • were passed

9
  • For the future of labournot a failure
  • 1) appreciation of workers value increased
  • 2) drew attention to social problems
  • 3) drew attention to economic problems
  • 4) Commission appointed to investigate
  • 5) labour leaders became involved in
  • politics.
  • 6) Many strike leaders were voted into
  • government and change began.

10
  • www.civilization.ca/hist/labour/
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • (search for Winnipeg General Strike)
  • http//www.histori.ca/peace/
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