It was also receiving increased international attention, written extensively in publications like the New York Times. Today's story (pdf):
Wednesday, May 27
Tuesday, 27 May 1919
The scope of the strike widens as more cities take sympathetic strike votes.
It was also receiving increased international attention, written extensively in publications like the New York Times. Today's story (pdf):
It was also receiving increased international attention, written extensively in publications like the New York Times. Today's story (pdf):
Tuesday, May 26
Monday, 26 May 1919
The Post Office ultimatum has come and past. Of the hundreds of postal workers on strike only 16 return to work (source). A moral victory for the strikers.
Monday, 26 May 1919 - Hot in the City
Adding to to the tensions, the last week of May 1919 is unseasonably hot. From May 24 to 30 highs are at or above 30 degrees.
Monday, May 25
Sunday, 25 May 1919 - Postal Deadline
Sundays are a day for family. Even during the strike the respective propaganda newspapers took the day off.
Seven thousand workers show up for an evening gathering at Victoria Park. Some may have come to enjoy the cool breeze off the river on a 30 degree day but others came bearing news of an employer's ultimatum.
The Post Office has told it's workers that if they don't show up for work tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. they are terminated, along with any pension they may have earned (source).
Main Post Office, Portage and Garry
Seven thousand workers show up for an evening gathering at Victoria Park. Some may have come to enjoy the cool breeze off the river on a 30 degree day but others came bearing news of an employer's ultimatum.
The Post Office has told it's workers that if they don't show up for work tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. they are terminated, along with any pension they may have earned (source).
Main Post Office, Portage and GarrySunday, May 24
Saturday, 24 May 1919 - The Newsstand
Today's Winnipeg Citizen headline: Strike Unjustified; Citizens Must Stand firm
The Citizen is paraphrasing Arthur Meighan, Manitoba M.P. and federal Minister of the Interior, who is in Winnipeg. The citizen quotes him as saying "It is up to the citizens of Winnipeg to stand firm and resist efforts made here to overturn proper authority"
The Western Labor News of May 24, 1919 tells strikers "Don't worry and don't work."
The Citizen is paraphrasing Arthur Meighan, Manitoba M.P. and federal Minister of the Interior, who is in Winnipeg. The citizen quotes him as saying "It is up to the citizens of Winnipeg to stand firm and resist efforts made here to overturn proper authority"
The Western Labor News of May 24, 1919 tells strikers "Don't worry and don't work."
Saturday, May 23
Friday, 23 May 1919 - The Newsstand
Winnipeg Citizen May 23, 1919 Read the full Edition !
Western Labor News May 23, 1919 Read the full edition !
The following is an excerpt from the Toronto Daily Star on this day:
Star Source
Western Labor News May 23, 1919 Read the full edition !The following is an excerpt from the Toronto Daily Star on this day:Outward Appearances Show No Sign Of Any Big Strike
Toronto Daily Star, 23 May 1919, W.R. Plewman
The strikers have gone pretty far and they have made some mistakes but they have not perpetrated Bolshevism.
The writer came to the city (Winnipeg) understanding that the Strike Committee of Five had inaugurated a reign of terror, preventing willing workers from serving their employers and the public and allowing only a few employers, who would submit to the humiliation of displaying signs "By permission of the Strike Committee" to carry on. It was that idea and the vision of impending Bolshevik horrors that drove nearly all the non-strikers into one camp and made virtually all those who are not manual workers enthusiastic supporters of the offensive now being waged by the Citizen's Committee. But the whole thing is a delusion and a figment of the imagination.
There is no Soviet. There was little or no terrorism.
Toronto Daily Star, 23 May 1919, W.R. Plewman
The strikers have gone pretty far and they have made some mistakes but they have not perpetrated Bolshevism.
The writer came to the city (Winnipeg) understanding that the Strike Committee of Five had inaugurated a reign of terror, preventing willing workers from serving their employers and the public and allowing only a few employers, who would submit to the humiliation of displaying signs "By permission of the Strike Committee" to carry on. It was that idea and the vision of impending Bolshevik horrors that drove nearly all the non-strikers into one camp and made virtually all those who are not manual workers enthusiastic supporters of the offensive now being waged by the Citizen's Committee. But the whole thing is a delusion and a figment of the imagination.
There is no Soviet. There was little or no terrorism.
Star Source
Friday, May 22
Victoria Park
By now, the strike had settled into a bit of a routine. One of those routines were the daily gatherings at Victoria Park. It was a place for workers to meet, share stories, get the latest news, listen to speeches. Later it would also be a starting point for marches that would come later in the strike.
Victoria Park, established in 1894, was located on a stretch of land behind the present day Concert Hall: roughly from the MTC Warehouse down to Waterfront Drive. An aerial photo can be found here.
For more on strike action in Victoria Park.
Strikers at Victoria Park
Victoria Park, established in 1894, was located on a stretch of land behind the present day Concert Hall: roughly from the MTC Warehouse down to Waterfront Drive. An aerial photo can be found here.
For more on strike action in Victoria Park.
Strikers at Victoria ParkThursday, 22 May 1919 - The Newsstand
Western Labor News May 22, 1919
- Repeals the need for "those cards":
Winnipeg Citizen May 22, 1919
- Claims moral victory in strike card issue:
- Examines the One Big Union vote workers will be taking later in the summer. Concludes that it "...proves there is a revolutionary movement on..." and that "...unless Winnipeg throttles this general strike idea right here an now, Winnipeg herself will be throttled again on July 1st."
The Alberta Non-Partisan editorializes How the Might Have Fallen, referring to the major daily newspapers which, to date, have not yet resumed publishing. It muses that it dismisses the popular myth "...that Labour can get along without capital but that Capital cannot get along without Labour".
- Repeals the need for "those cards":
Winnipeg Citizen May 22, 1919
- Claims moral victory in strike card issue:
- Examines the One Big Union vote workers will be taking later in the summer. Concludes that it "...proves there is a revolutionary movement on..." and that "...unless Winnipeg throttles this general strike idea right here an now, Winnipeg herself will be throttled again on July 1st."
The Alberta Non-Partisan editorializes How the Might Have Fallen, referring to the major daily newspapers which, to date, have not yet resumed publishing. It muses that it dismisses the popular myth "...that Labour can get along without capital but that Capital cannot get along without Labour".Thursday, May 21
Wednesday, 21 May 1919 - The Newsstand
Wednesday, May 20
"Permitted by Authority of Strike Committee"
A symbol of the strike that angered the Citizens' Committee of 1000 was the "By Authority of the Strike Committee" permit cards issued by the Strike Committee to those doing what they deemed "essential services".
In speeches and interviews the "1000" denounced the signs. Here is how they felt, from the pages of their own newspaper:
In speeches and interviews the "1000" denounced the signs. Here is how they felt, from the pages of their own newspaper:
Tuesday, 20 May 1919 - Brandon's Sympathetic Strike Growing
Brandon workers chose May 20 as the day for a sympathetic strike.
Yesterday 125 CP workers walked off the job, today 100 CN rail workers left. Many more are expected as the days go by.
Workers at Brandon Implement and Machinery c 1913
Brandon Strike Resources:
- Brandon, 1919: Labour and Industrial Relations in the Wheat City in the Year of the General Strike
- Let us rise! : a history of the Manitoba labour movement
Yesterday 125 CP workers walked off the job, today 100 CN rail workers left. Many more are expected as the days go by.
Workers at Brandon Implement and Machinery c 1913Brandon Strike Resources:
- Brandon, 1919: Labour and Industrial Relations in the Wheat City in the Year of the General Strike
- Let us rise! : a history of the Manitoba labour movement
Tuesday, May 19
Monday, 19 May 1919
The Winnipeg Citizen newspaper begins publication. It is an organ of the Citizen's Committee of One Thousand.
Read today's edition.
Read today's edition.
Monday, 19 May 1919
Minutes from today's meeting of the Winnipeg Strike Committee shows the impact of the "By Authority of Strike Committee Cards."
Monday, 19 May 1919 - The Newsstand
Monday, May 18
May 18 - The Strike Committee
The Winnipeg Strike Committee:
The Winnipeg Strike committee was created by representatives of the unions that were part of the Trades and Labour Council. The were organized into subcommittees and an executive Central Strike Committee of five. This Central Committee was the decision making body for labour, and thus the city, during the strike.
The Winnipeg Strike committee was created by representatives of the unions that were part of the Trades and Labour Council. The were organized into subcommittees and an executive Central Strike Committee of five. This Central Committee was the decision making body for labour, and thus the city, during the strike.
Sunday, 18 May 1919 - Mayor Gray: Zero Tolerance
Proclamations by Mayor Gray on May 18th outlining a couple of zero tolerance matters:
"Let me make this absolutely clear. If the food supplies and the protection of life and property are not maintained I shall take whatever action may be necessary to secure them and maintain the authority of the government as it is established by the voice of the people".
Sunday, May 17
May 17 - The Newsstand
The New York Times reports (see full pdf):
WINNIPEG STRIKE SPREADS FURTHER; Telegraphers Tie Up Wire Service and Railway Men May Join Walkout.
WINNIPEG, Man., May 17.--Reports were current tonight, the third of the general strike involving eighty unions and 30,000 men and women, that the Winnipeg locals of the three great railroad brotherhoods were considering the advisability of joining the strikers. It was also reported that stockyards employes would walk out Monday.
May 17 - Citizens' Committee of 1000
May 17, 1919 - The Citizens' Committee of One Thousand is set up by business leaders to counteract the Strike Committee.
Citizens' Committee of One Thousand, source.
The main goal of the 1000 is to provide essential services to the city while workers are off the job. In their first official statement they give themselves a wider task:
Citizens' Committee of One Thousand, source. The main goal of the 1000 is to provide essential services to the city while workers are off the job. In their first official statement they give themselves a wider task:
The Citizens Committee of Winnipeg has taken steps to form itself into a permanent organization for the purpose of arousing Dominion-wide interest in the necessity of upholding proper respect for the law and to combat the Bolshevistic propaganda which is being so industriously sown in Western Canada.
Official Statement
Volunteers "man" the pumps
Citizens' Committee HQ
Official StatementVolunteers "man" the pumpsCitizens' Committee HQ
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