The Winnipeg General Strike began promptly at 11:00 a., Thursday, May 15th, 1919 during this time between 30,000 to 35,000 Winnipeg workers (in a city of 200,000) walked out on a general strike, although over half were not union members. Work immediately ceased at the big railway shops and yards across the city, while all factory production stopped. Winnipeg had no mail, streetcars, taxis, newspapers, telegrams, telephones, gasoline, or milk delivery. Most restaurants, retail stores, and even barber shops closed. Police, fire fighters, and employees of the water works shocked and frightened many in Winnipeg by joining the strike, thus workers shut down the entire city for almost two months. Canadians across the country focused their attention on Winnipeg wondering what was going on. The Winnipeg General Strike would last six weeks until the tragic events of Bloody Saturday brought it to an abrupt end. The Winnipeg General Strike caused nothing but hatred and hard feelings between employees and employers in the short term while union workers did see some slight improvements in the workplace over the course of the years.
During this time period, it was common for a woman to stay home, look after the kids, and do the cleaning and cooking, while the men were away working. "I couldn't understand why he wasn't working." This would probably been said by a middle or lower class woman, since with the income earned and the inflation of prices they often had troubles making the ends meet. What she couldn't understand was why her husband along with many other workers left their jobs and were out striking on the street when they could otherwise do work and get paid. At first, they did not see the true reason behind the general strike, however eventually they too would support the strike movement striving for better work conditions and benefits.
The businessmen that owned businesses in the city of Winnipeg from mills to department stores where strongly opposed to the general strike.
