Friday, November 6

6 November 1919: The Robson Report

The Robson Commission report is presented to the provincial government (for background and a link to the report).

Similar to the feds', Mathers Commission report of earlier in the year, Robson does not find much in the way of Bolshevik revolution. Rather, he concludes, the strike was a "protest against conditions" that workers faced and a "demand for relief":

"it is too much for me to say that the vast number of intelligent residents who went on strike were seditious or that they were either dull enough or weak enough to allow themselves to be led by seditionaries."

The government did not make the report public for another four months, after the trials of the strike leaders were complete.

Tuesday, September 22

General Strike Lecture 24 Sept '09

Here's an Upcoming Lecture:

"The Winnipeg General Strike: Writing About the Citizens' Committee of 1000"
by Tom Mitchell, Archivist & Historian, Brandon University

WHEN: Thursday, 24 September 2009, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Archives & Special Collections, 330 Dafoe Library, U of M
COST: Free

This event is sponsored by Archives & Special Collections and the Association for Manitoba Archives. All are welcome!

Wednesday, September 9

Exhibit: 1919 The Ripple Effect of Fear

Exhibit: Winnipeg's 1919 General Strike: The Ripple Effect of Fear

Martin Auditorium, Dalnavert Museum, 61 Carlton Street, Winnipeg.

This display, developed in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, showcases those who were in charge on either side and the consequences of the fear that gripped that era as witnessed in Winnipeg. Learn why this event was so significant at that time and what seeds were sown affecting our lives today.

Monday, September 7

7 September 1919: More Protest

More protests:

Saturday, September 5

Legal Beagles Part 2: Royal Commissions

Another source of legal activity were the two main Royal Commissions happening in 1919.

Name: The Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Industrial Relations in Canada (often short-titled to the Royal Commission on Industrial Relations or the 'Mathers Commission')

Government:
Dominion of Canada
Time of Activity: April - June 1919
Date of Report: July 1, 1919 (Tablled in House)
Chair: Thomas Graham Mathers
Detail: The Royal Commission to enquire into and report upon the causes and effects of the General Strike which recently existed in the City of Winnipeg for a period of six weeks, including the methods of calling and carrying on such strike


Name: The "Royal Commission to enquire into and report upon the causes and effects of the General Strike which recently existed in the City of Winnipeg for a period of six weeks, including the methods of calling and carrying on such strike" (often short-titled to the Royal Commission on the Winnipeg General Strike or 'The Robson Commission').

Government: Province of Manitoba
Time of Activity: July - November 1919
Date of Report: November 6, 1919 (not made public until March 20, 1920)
Chair: Hugh Amos Robson
Detail: That title sort of sums it up !

Tuesday, September 1

1 September 1919: Protests Renewed

The Winnipeg Eight are still being held in prison awaiting trial. Protests for their release grow louder. The largest protest to-date was held September 1, 1919 as described in this article in the September 5th Western Labour News (to see full article).

Sunday, August 30

1919 Legal Beagles Part 1

The names of those who stood trial are still known, some celebrated, today. Post-strike there was another set of players to enter the arena: the legal teams. For them, these were not ordinary trials. They were a chance to make legal history.

Walter Pue, in a paper titled Cowboy Jurists & the Making of Legal Professionalism said of this era in Prairie law:

"Lawyers combined agendas which were explicitly moral and reforming with a profound restructuring of their profession. Their efforts to reform the curriculum of formal legal education was part of a cultural project, but so too was their desire to attain self-regulation, monopoly, professional independence, and plenary disciplinary powers."

Who were some of these lawyers ? Here are a few of the key players. Note that by going to their bios you may see the outcome of some of the trials yet to appear here !

Citizens Committee of 1000 lawyers:
Alfred Joseph "A.J." Andrews - Was mayor in 1898-99. He led the team for the Committee.

Issac Pitblado At the time he was a member and cousel for the Committee as well as the head of the Manitoba Law Society. The Isaac Pitblado Lectures have been held annually for almost 50 years.

Travers Sweatman - (no image) Famous for having defended Thomas Kelly during the Manitoba Legislative Scandal. He would later become a judge (source) nominated by A.J. Andrews (source)

James Bowes Coyne A member of the Aikins firm

Winnipeg Trades and Labor Council lawyers

Thomas J. Murray K.C. (no image) Represented Moses Chartinoff

Marcus Hyman - Defended the 'radical aliens', those born outside Canada, facing deportation by the the Board of Inquiry. Later in life he became an MLA and introduced The Manitoba Defamation Act (1934) - the first Canadian group libel law, and the only one until 1970 (source).

E.J. Murray
(no image)

Reference:
All that I could find on-line were written by those on the side of labour. If anyone has a link to something from the other side or from a legal point of view please share !

"Repressive Measures": AJ Andrews, the Committee of 1000 and the Campaign Against Radicalism after the Winnipeg General Strike

"Legal Gentlemen Appointed by the Federal Government": the Canadian State, the Citizens' Committee of 1000, and Winnipeg's Seditious ConspiracyTrials of 1919–1920.

Thursday, August 27

27 August, 1919 - The Newsstand

The Strikers' Defence Bulletin was published in August to cover the trials and appeal for financial help. This is the only known copy to survive. It provides coverage of some of the proceedings, including the statements of some of the arrested.

Saturday, August 1

August 1, 1919: The Winnipeg Eight

Source

Following those arrested and what happened to them will be the next section of this blog. I will try to follow as many as I can, though there is less detail available on-line as there was for the actual strike itself.

One group that I certainly will follow are "The Winnipeg Eight". These strike leaders, who by now were household names, were all arrested / had warrants issued for their arrest on June 17, 1919. They faced multiple charges of sedition.

Sent to Stoney Mountain (see above photo) to await their trials as of August 1 they were still waiting in jail.

Those eight are:
William Ivens
Born: Barford, England, 1878
Former Methodist minister. Editor of the Western Labour News. Arrested June 17 on multiple counts of seditious conspiracy.

Robert Boyd "R.B." Russell
Born: Glasgow, Scotland, 1888
OBU delegate, union leader and member of Central Strike Committee. Arrested June 17 on multiple charges of seditious libel.

Richard J "Dick"Johns
Born: Cornwall, England, 1889.
CPR Machinist, Manitoba leader for the OBU. Arrest warrant issued June 17, (while he was in Montréal). Charged with seditious conspiracy.

John Queen
Born: Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1882
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Alderman for Ward 5 (North End). Member of Social Democratic Party and business agent / advertising manager for the Western Labor News. Arrested June 17 on multiple charges of sedition.

Abram Albert "A.A." Heaps
Born: Leeds, England, 1885
Member of Social Democratic Party, oversaw operations for the strike committee. Arrested June 17, 1919 on charges of sedition.

George Armstrong
Born: 1870 Scarborough, Ontario, 1870
Union Organizer, member of Socialist Party, prominent Marxist. Arrested June 17 on seven counts of seditious conspiracy

Roger Bray
Born: Sheffield, England
Butcher, Lay Methodist preacher, spokesman for returned soldiers and leader of veterans’ parades. Arrested June 17 on multiple charges of seditious conspiracy

William A. (Bill) Pritchard
Born: Salford, England, 1888.
B.C.-based, editor of socialist newspaper and OBU delegate. Warrant issued for arrest for sedition, captured on a train in Calgary while returning to B.C.

Friday, July 31

Strike! The Musical July 30th - August 5th

July 30th - August 5th, 2009

The first annual run of Strike! at Winnipeg's Canwest Performing Arts Centre at the Forks, Winnipeg. Show times for this 8-show limited engagement are 8:00 PM daily with an additional 2:00 PM Sunday matinée on August 2nd.

For More Info

Thursday, July 30

Reconstruction from the Viepoint of Labor

After the strike, J.S. Woodworth released Reconstruction From the Viewpoint of Labor.

The time has come now when we must figuratively sit down and ask ourselves two questions: 1. what do we want and 2. how are we going to get it.

Sunday, July 26

Citizens Committee Briefing Book

In 1920 the Citizens Committee of 1000 published a 30 page briefing booklet about the strike.

A goal of the Committee was to share "best practises" with other communities that are, or may, deal with large-scale labour unrest. During and after the strike members would make presentations (see earlier entry for Moose Jaw).
This booklet outlines the history of the strike from their point of view. It also provides great detail about the organization and activities of the committee. The final section is a detailed "how to" guide when it comes to dealing with unrest and how to set up a civilian government should the unrest turn to a general strike.

Tuesday, July 21

Workers' Defence Fund and Liberty Bonds

Set up after the arrests during the strike, the Workers' Defence Fund appealed for money to go toward court costs. This is from the June 26 Enlightener:

Eventually your donation would get you a paper "bond".

Front and back of bond. Source

Monday, July 20

July 20, 1919: Defence Fund Fundraisers

From Western Labour News, July 11, 1919

Friday, July 17

17 July 1919 - The Robson Commission

While the trials were going through the courts the Justice H.A. Robson's Royal Commission was sputtering to get started.

Manitoba Free Press 17 July 1919

Sunday, July 12

July 1919 - 'The Robson Commission'

The "Royal Commission to enquire into and report upon the causes and effects of the General Strike which recently existed in the City of Winnipeg for a period of six weeks, including the methods of calling and carrying on such strike" (often short-titled to the Royal Commission on the Winnipeg General Strike or "The Robson Commission") was created in July 1919 by the Manitoba Government and chaired by Hugh Amos Robson.

The report, which can be read in it's entirety here, was underway but would not report back to the Province until November 6, 1919 and the report would not be made public until March 29, 1920 (I won't release the results until then either !).

Image source and a more detailed bio:
The Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, 1870-1950 By Dale Brawn, Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History

Saturday, July 11

July 1919 - Woodsworth's Incarceration In His Own Words

Woodsworth was arrested the night of June 21st. In July 1919, while out on bail, he wrote of his time at Stony Mountain.

Tuesday, July 7

Arrest Watch: 7 July 1919

From the Alberta Non-Partisan, July 7, 1919, Page 12
Life and Work: The arrested Strike Leaders and Democracy

Monday, July 6

The strike is not done yet ! A musical interlude !

Just taking a breather until mid-July. There are trials and other aftermath still cover !

If you did not catch the outdoor performance of Danny Schur's Strike The Musical, or if you did and you are till tapping your toes, you can catch excerpts on Weds July 8 from Noon to 1 pm at Centre Court, Portage Place.

This is all in aid of the full length theatrical debut from Jul 30 - Aug 5 at the Canwest Performing Arts Centre (Theatre for Young People) venue at The Forks. Info for that can be found here.

Thursday, July 2

2 July 1919 - War Vets Resume Meetings

As they promised at the beginning of the strike, the Imperial Veterans did not meet until a week after the end date of the strike.

Wednesday, July 1

Arrest Watch - Raw Data

Over the weeks a number of people were arrested - perhaps hundreds.

I am creating an 'arrest watch' list from names taken from articles trying to match them up with their outcomes. Due to the numbers I will not reference every article that I found them in but here is a sampling of some of them:

Manitoba Free Press June 25, 1919

20 June 1919

Telegram Jun 27, 1919

June 17, 1919

Winnipeg Telegram June 18, 1919

Winnipeg Telegram June 23, 1919

Manitoba Free Press June 23, 1919

1 July 1919 - 'The Mathers Commission'

The Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Industrial Relations in Canada, often short-titled to the Royal Commission on Industrial Relations or the 'Mathers Commission' was struck in March 1919 by the Borden Government. It's chair was Thomas Graham Mathers, Chief Justice of Manitoba.

The Commission's mandate was to inquire and report back on the following:

(1) To consider and make suggestions for securing a permanent improvement in the relations between employers and employees. (2) To recommend means for ensuring that industrial conditions affecting relations between employers and employees shall be reviewed from time to time by those concerned, with a view to improving conditions in the future. (source)

Between April and June 1919 the Commission visited 28 municipalities and heard from 486 witnesses. The Winnipeg dates were May 10 - 13, 1919. The labour side wanted little part in a government inquest and there was not a great deal of representation. The side of industry, however, took advantage of the hearings to air their grievances. (see Conflict in Winnipeg p 107)

Of course the Commission was still in process when the Winnipeg General Strike took place. By the time it's final report was ready and tabled in the House is was July 1, 1919.

Their findings included the fact that the 'chief causes of discontentment were: unemployment, the rising cost of living, long working hours, lack of collective bargaining rights, the housing shortage, restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, and unequal educational opportunities'. (source)

Related:
The Commission Report (also printed as a supplement to the Labour Gazette, July 1919) is not yet available online.

Photo source and more detailed bio of Mathers:
The Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, 1870-1950: a biographical history

Sunday, June 28

Saturday, 28 June 1919

The Winnipeg Telegram publishes it's final strike edition. Interestingly, under the headline "World Rejoices at Peace", it carries a story about the formal end of the war and a call for 'peace' in the city as well:

"Now that the strike is officially over let us make reasonable haste to make sure that it is over at the earliest possible moment".

Saturday, June 27

Friday, 27 June 1919 - The Newsstand

The Western Labor News returns to the newsstand !

- It begins with a front page story detailing why the strike was called off. The majority of the Strike Committee felt that an absolute victory at this point was 'hopeless'.

- The paper appeals for funds to continue operating.

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition


- Man accidentally shot during riot seeks restitution from city.

- In an editorial, they warn that there is 'still danger'

- and the streetcars are ready for service.
- It's expected that 180 of the 220 members of the police force will be reinstated. The other 40 are still being considered.

Manitoba Free Press

Reports that while one committee has wound down
another is continuing it's work assisting other centres in the West still having labour disputes:

Friday, June 26

Thursday, 26 June 1919 - The Newsstand


The Enlightener

- Reports that indignation is being expressed by many over the calling off of the strike and that they will "demand a statement from their representatives on the general Strike Committee as to their high handed action in calling off the General Strike".

- Railway workers, late comers to the strike, will be voting on a motion to keep the strike going.

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition

- Reports that strike leaders would instead focus on constitutional means to get their way by running more Labor candidates in the next civic election.

- Acting Chief Newton's reorganization of the police force is coming along and will be a "model force" once completed. Former police can apply for their jobs and each will be considered on a case by case basis.

The New York Times

Thursday, June 25

Arrest Watch - 25 June 1919

Over the course of the strike a number of arrests were made. The two main batches were on June 17/18 and June 21/22. The proceedings of these trial will be followed daily along with other events.

A summary of all those arrested will appear here in a couple of days.

For June 25:

Manitoba Free Press

Wednesday, 25 June 1919 - The Newsstand

Today's official labour paper is The Enlightener and the Front Page says it all:
The Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition
- On their front page calls the strike "a miserable failure"


Then spend a bit of time correcting items from yesterday:

- Norris publicly denies that a strike commission, as reported yesterday.
- Justice Robson denies knowledge that he has been appointed to the commission

Winnipeg Free Press
Is a little less angry-sounding in their main editorial. They call it a waste of one of the nicest summers in memory and:

"...if the citizens - all the citizens - of this town could get a human view of each other, if they could see the children swelter and suffer because of adult foolishness and wrongheadedness - the citizens of Winnipeg might agree to damn the strike and abolish it forthwith"

Wednesday, 25 June 1919 - Western Impact

With the announcement of the end of the Winnipeg General Strike, sympathetic strikes in Winnipeg began to loose steam.

In Saskatoon and Victoria they are waiting for official word. Edmonton would call their strike off for June 27th. Calgary's had already begun to peter out and ended last night. Brandon tried to keep it going with another strike vote tomorrow but by the end of June they, too, ran out of steam.

Free Press June 25 1919

Wednesday, June 24

Tuesday , 24 June 1919 - The Newsstand

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition

- Reports that the death toll is rising from the riots. Steve Schezerbanowicz, shot in the legs, has died from gangrene infection at General Hospital. From East Selkirk, Schezerbanowicz has been residing at 232 Lizzie Street during the strike.

There is also the story of Robert Murdock, a worker at the pumping plant, was severely beaten by a group of up to 30 men. He was found in Cecil Rhodes School yard and brought to General Hospital. The story references that this is not the first mass attack on a worker and implies that strikers may be behind it.

- Justice H.A. Robson is believed to be named to the commission looking into the causes of the strike,something that labour had asked for. Ottawa still stands frim on NOT dealing with the matter any further until the strike is called off.

- The editorial supports the "suppressing" of the Western labor News after seeing yesterday's edition. Many stories were printed merely to incite people intor rioting. They were even advertising illegal meetings !

The Western Star

Is the labour paper today after the Labor News was shut down. The below notice was sent and acting editor J.S. Woodworth, who was sitting in for the arrested Ivens, was himself arrested on Main Street near the McLaren Hotel.
- This is the final eddition that had them cut off.

- A defence fund has been created for those arrested.

Tuesday, June 23

Monday, 23 June 1919 - The Newsstand

Western Labour News

- Is Defiant. The headline screams: STRIKE UNBROKEN
- Outlines their version of what happened on Bloody Saturday
- Declares that the strike is ready to sizzle, not fizzle

The Winnipeg Citizen

- Does not publish again after June 20

The Winnipeg Telegram

- Has talk of additional arrests:

-

Monday, 23 June 1919 - The Riot Act

Monday, June 22

Bloody Saturday - The Fallout

- The immediate aftermath was nearly 100 arrests (this partial list from Manitoba Free Press 23 June 1919):

This is a list of those injured enough to be admitted to General Hospital (Telegram, 23 June). The lone immediate death was that of Mike Skodelik (later identified as Mike Sokolowski) of Henry Avenue. Steve Schezerbanowes of East Selkirk who was shot in the legs would die days later from infection.
- Minister Robertson declares that the Federal government will not resume negotiations until the strike is called off. He also distances the feds from what took place: "It was purely an action of the provincial and civic authorities" he tells the Telegram.

- Streetcar service was called off after the riot in what the Telegram called a "grim mistake" as it shows a sign of weakness.

Bloody Saturday - In the Mayor's Words

This statement was issued the night of Bloody Saturday and published Monday June 23rd in the Telegram:

Sunday, 22 June 1919 - The International Newsstand

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 22 June 1919

New York Times, 22 June 1919

- Also an in-depth feature "Bolshevism in Winnipeg"

Chicago Tribune, Front Page:

Winnipeg, Man., June 21.- Winnipeg, strike torn since May 15, is under martial law tonight. After bloody fighting this afternoon between thousands of strikers and the city and provincial police, in which one man was killed, several injured probably fatally, and more than a score hurt...

Sunday, June 21

Saturday Afternoon, 21 June 1919 - Bloody Saturday Begins

10:30 am: A delegation from the pro-strike veterans meet with Mayor Gray and Minister Robinson at the Royal Alexandra Hotel to try to reach a compromise about today's planned march.


The Veterans plan to march from City Hall to the Royal Alex, (where they hope Robertson will address them), and then on to the Citizens' Committee headquarters.

The Mayor advises that such a march is against the proclamation of a few days before and that force could be used to break it up. The delegation would only agree to call off the march if the strike ended by 2 pm and the streetcars planned to run that day are taken off-track.

No resolution is found.

1:45 pm: Police Chief Newton contacts Mayor Gray at the hotel to say that a large crowd is gathering.

The mayor advises him to inform Commissioner Perry of the RNWMP and have his, and Perry's, men on the streets.

2:30 pm: At Main and William a large crowd is gathered waiting to form the march.

A streetcar travels from the north through the crowd. Angered, given the symbolism of the streetcar service, they surround it but the car makes it past.

Moments later, another car travelling north is not so lucky. It is pulled from it's wires and trashed. Unable to overturn it, the streetcar is set on fire.


Meanwhile, the NWMP had set up near Portage and Main and start off on their first, slow, pass through the crowd. Some insults are hurled, and a missile or two, but it is uneventful.

On the return pass from James Street back toward Portage one officer's horse trips on the bumper of the streetcar. The officer is dragged and a member of the crowd begins to attack him. At this point, officers draw their weapons.

2:35 pm: Mayor Gray, looking on from the balcony at City Hall, reads the riot act and gives the crowd 30 minutes to depart. As he turns to go back in the sound of the first shot is heard - the RNWMP fire a volley in the air.

At that point, chaos breaks out. Some in the crowd are frightened and stampede for safety. Some fights break out with police on foot, missiles are hurled at those on horseback and more shots are fired.

2:45 pm: The Mayor leaves for Fort Osborne Barracks to ask Ketchen to send in the militia: cavalry and machine gun mototorized units.

Slowly, but surely, the troops would clear the streets. A combination of the military, special constables and RNWMP would stay on guard until midnight.

That day there were a number of people shot and injured and scores arrested, the full extent of which would not be known until later in the day.


sequence of events from Confrontation at Winnipeg

Saturday, 21 June 1919 (a.m.) - Proclamation

Source, Winnipeg Free Press (morning edition)

Saturday, 21 June 1919 (a.m.) - The Morning Newsstand

As it often does, manitobia.ca and it's newspaper list has gone down for the weekend delaying some of the 21 June coverage.... ?! Hopefully it will be up soon ....

Western Labor News

Winnipeg Citizen - No edition today

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition

Winnipeg Free Press
- gives the sense that there is an end coming soon to the strike


Their editorial for today begins:

Saturday, June 20

Friday, 20 June 1919

Western Labor News

- Returned soldiers' committee calls for a large rally tomorrow at Market Square behind city hall.

- Though reports say that some sympathetic strikes, like the one in Vancouver, are starting to crack, new ones begin such as at the shipyards in Trois Rivieres Quebec.

Western Labor News - Special Edition


-
Six strike leaders have been released.

- A reminder that The Strike is Still On ! "We've held out for five weeks. We can hold out a few days longer", (while negotiations take place - see Telegram).


The Winnipeg Citizen

- There is Greater Work to Do

The Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition

- More on the release of the strike leaders. Only the British born are released on $2,000 bail and a promise to remain 'inactive'.

- In the late edition they proclaim that "Strike May End Withing 36 Hours" as negotiations begin today between metal workers and their employers.

- Prime Minister Borden explains in question period that the strike leaders will be tried by jury, not special committee. The only committee involved would be from Immigration who will deal with the foreign born leaders.