Monday, 2 June 1919 - The Newsstand

Western Labor News June 2, 1919
- Appear buoyed by the veteran strikers
-Today's meetings

Winnipeg Citizen June 2, 1919
- An angry story entitled "They shall be known by their acts" takes up the entire front page, lashing out at the labour movement, including strikers and the Labor News.

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition June 2, 1919
- Report that 10,000 veteran strikers converged on the Legislature this morning to visit Premier Norris. Led by A.E. Bray they present a petition to Norris demanding: compulsive collective bargaining; withdrawal of ultimatum to Winnipeg Police Force (to return and swear never to participate in a strike); the reinstatement of all provincial workers without discrimination. If he fails to meet these demands, they will call on the government to resign.

- Report that mass meetings and marches are becoming more unruly and "requires only one fool" within the crowd to trigger violence.

Saturday, 31 May 1919 - Moose Jaw

May 31, 1919 - A member of the executive of the Citizens' Committee of One Thousand delivers an address in Moose Jaw, a city in the midst of its own sympathetic general strike. The discussion was about the inner workings of the "1000" - how it was established and why.

He reiterated that the main purpose of the committee was to keep essential services going, he certainly does not hide his disdain for the strikers and the strike committee:



Above: A transcript of the speech was published as "An address on the subject of the Winnipeg strike, May-June, 1919: Delivered by a member of the Citizens' Committee of One Thousand to a deputation of citizens from Moose Jaw, Sask.: With especial reference to the enunciation therein contained upon the principles of 'collective bargaining'". Full text.

Saturday, 31 May 1919 - The Newsstand

Western Labor News May 31, 1919

Winnipeg Citizen May 31, 1919

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition May 31, 1919

Friday, 30 May 1919 - Toronto Streetcar Strike

Friday, 30 May - The Newsstand

Western Labor News May 30, 1919

Winnipeg Citizen May 30, 1919

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition May 30, 1919

Friday, 30 May 1919 - Veterans Speak

Returning veterans have been holding daily demonstrations of their own. Today a march of 4,000 calling for a peaceful end to the strike, including the abolition of the Committee of 1000 and a withdrawal of the ultimatum to the police that they sign pledge to never join a union or be dismissed. When the march reaches the Legislature, 2000 of the men enter the building demanding to see Premier Norris.  Source.

See Telegram: "Soldier strikers in Ugly Mood Today"

Thursday, 29 May 1919 - The Newsstand

On today's newsstand: The Western Labor News asks What is a Living Wage ? while the Winnipeg Citizen claims that thousands of workers were tricked into striking by Bolsheviks. 

The Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition carries a notice from Police Chief MacPherson that police officers (who did not walk out on strike) must sign a pledge by 1 p.m. tomorrow that they will not organize into a union "or any other organization." The penalty is dismissal.

The Trib and Telegram lay out their news policies during the strike.

Wednesday, 28 May 1919 - The Newsstand

Western Labor News May 28, 1919
Perhaps having two competitors this week has put the Citizen on the defensive. Front page items today include a long article about why they choose to strike and another proclaiming that "95% of people" support the workers.

Winnipeg Citizen May 28, 1919
An open letter to the Citizens of Winnipeg

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition May 28, 1919
- Reports that the Committee of 1000 is signing up volunteers to perfrom duties such as garbage collection

Tuesday, 27 May 1919 - The Newsstand Grows

There's a new, old paper on the newsstands today: The Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition !

Though anti-strike, the paper is not just strike news. It's a smaller version of the regular Telegraph with local and international news, wire features, sports and entertainment. Just like the Winnipeg Free Press, which is also publishing again*.

Western Labor News May 27, 1919

Winnipeg Citizen May 27, 1919

Winnipeg Telegram Strike Edition for May 27, 1919. The first Editorial Page and the following full page ad - "first in a series":
*The Winnipeg Free Press also resumed publishing but it's archives are behind a subscription wall so I cannot link to them on a daily basis.

Today, though, they reported on the decision by city council to fire striking city workers. Notices to fill positions are to be readied. Strikers can reapply for their old jobs but would have to denounce the strike.

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):

Monday, 26 May 1919 - The Newsstand

Western Labor News for May 26, 1919

Winnipeg Citizen for May 26, 1919

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.

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

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."

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:

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.

Star Source

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

Thursday, 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".

Wednesday, 21 May 1919 - The Newsstand

The papers compete for the hearts and minds of Winnipeggers:

Western Labor News May 21, 1919

Winnipeg Citizen May 21, 1919

"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: