b"1919 WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE TIMELINEEarly15 5 10 21MayWinnipeg Trades and Labour CouncilStrike begins at 11 a.m., with the entire Employers and Metal & Buildingasked to support striking trades; 12,000Winnipeg MayorPolice replaced by untrainedBloody SaturdaySilent parade protesting arrest Trades fail to negotiate collectivemembers asked to vote on calling aworking population of Winnipeg walkingannounces ban onspecial constables withof strike leaders becomes violent confrontation bargaining agreement MAY general strike off the job (30,000 workers) demonstrations clubs who patrol streets between demonstrators and authorities APRIL Metal & Building TradesResults of general strike voteFederal ministers travel to Winnipeg toCity dismisses almost entireLeaders of Strike CommitteeStrike Committee calls are announced: overwhelmingobserve strike, take side with authoritiesJUNE police force, who will not signarrested by Royal North-Westend to general strikego on strike support for strike from membership; and express concern that strike ispledge to not participate inMounted PoliceStrike Committee established attempt to overthrow government unions or strikesAfter three months of negotiations with the Winnipeg Builders' Exchange, all the unions grouped together under the1 & 2 13 24 9 17 26Building Trades Council to go on strike.business owners must provide labour with a contentedthe role of unions and workers in determining a wide range existence or the government will take the necessary action atof workplace issues, including wages, benefits, hours and their (business owners) cost. days of work and ensuring the workplace is a safe space for The strike was significant from the standpoint of the labourworkers. The general strike made it clear to governments movement and organized labour in Manitoba. It legitimizedand employers that working people wanted the right to join a union and have unions negotiate working conditions as an equal, says Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.The strike started a 30-year process to formalize provincial and federal laws to protect workers rights. By 1950, the federal government and most provinces had laws in place concerning organized labour that recognized and protected workers rights, including a federal Supreme Court decision on the right to organize.These laws now include important benchmarks for workers, including the 40-hour work week/eight-hour work day, rules for overtime and limits on the number of hours a worker can work in a day and weekly. The laws also cover safety in the workplace, putting the onus on business owners to meet workplace safety standards. All workers have the right to expect to return home from their workplace each day without being injured or exposed to potential harm, says Sudhir Sandhu, CEO of the Manitoba Building Trades.67 Don Valley ParkwayWinnipeg, MBR2C 2Z2 info@djnservices.comOffice: 204-222-3676 www.djnservices.com50 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca"