Manitoba Time Travel

As a kid, I loved the book series The Magic Tree House. From the wallpapered bedroom I shared with my older sister, I would travel back in time with Jack and Annie to the ancient Roman world, deep into an Egyptian tomb, or onto the backs of dinosaurs flying through prehistoric times. This year, Manitobans are invited to go on their own time travel adventure, revisiting Winnipeg 100 years ago. 

Soldiers returning home from the first world war were met with stressors such as high unemployment, inflation, and poor working conditions. In the spring of 1919, negotiations between labour and management of the metal and building trades had broken down, resulting in strikes. In sympathy, Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council called a general strike on May 15. Approximately 30,000 unionized and nonunionized workers from private and public sectors joined together in solidarity. 

The strikers were bold, orderly, and peaceful. They wanted better wages and working conditions, their unions to be recognized, and the right to collectively bargain. The reaction from employers, city council, and the federal government was strong. The Citizens Committee (the formal opposition) provided organized opposition to the strike, and federal, provincial, and municipal employees were ordered to return to work. Politicians quickly altered the Immigration Act to allow the deportation of strike leaders born in Britain, and the definition of sedition was expanded in the Criminal Code.

On June 21, on what is now referred to as Bloody Saturday, after strike leaders were arrested, strikers overturned a streetcar during a protest. The mayor read the Riot Act, and the North West Mounted Police and a newly formed replacement police force rode down Main Street, pushing back at the crowds. Two strikers were killed, others injured, and many arrested. Fearing further violence after this day, the strike was called off on June 26. Repercussions continued as some workers were jailed or deported, and many lost their jobs. Twenty years passed before collective bargaining was recognized in Canada. It is now a constitutional right. 

I have experienced a wide variety of workplaces: nonprofits, small businesses, farms. I have filled roles focussed on production, office administration, driving machinery, and even milking cows! While these experiences were quite varied, there was one constant that impacted me more than I knew: our provincial employment standards. I suppose I took some of our rights for granted. 

Two years after the General Strike, Canada mandated its first minimum wage. Other standards such as overtime, workplace safety, leaves of all types, and vacation pay are enjoyed today because of the labour movement. As I take some time to travel to 1919 this year, I’m sure I will be reminded that many of these standards would not be possible without the right to collective bargaining.