Tag: Winnipeg General Strike of 1919

Hellraisers Journal: Winnipeg Strike Called Off Thursday after All-Night Session of General Strike Committee

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Wpg GS Spirit Unbreakable, WLNs May 19, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday June 27, 1919
Winnipeg, Manitoba – General Strike Called Off

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of June 25, 1919:

WINNIPEG STRIKE ENDS
—–
Strike Committee After All Night Session Decides
to Let Government Commission Investigate.
—–

Wpg GS, Strike Ends, Wpg Tb p1, June 6, 1919

(Special to The Bulletin.)

Winnipeg. June 25.-The general strike which has lasted more than 40 days, will end Thursday at 11 o’clock. This announcement was made after an all-night session of the general strike committee. Sympathetic strikes in other cities will end at the same hour.

The decision of the strike committee, which ends a struggle that will have been exactly six weeks in effect at 11 o’clock Thursday, follows a conference of the delegates of the strike committee with Premier Norris and members of the provincial government yesterday.

The men forward the proposition that if the government would appoint a commission to investigate the strike and settle all disputes they would call off the general strike. The reply of the government was that the general strike must be called off first.

If that were done, then a commission, headed by H. A. Robertson [Hugh Amos Robson], would be appointed. It has been intimated that it had been the intention of the government for some weeks to appoint a commission, but action by the strike committee was awaited in regard to calling off the strike.

———-

[Newsclip added from Winnipeg Evening Tribune of June 26, 1919. Emphasis added.]

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WE NEVER FORGET: Martyrs of the Winnepeg General Strike, June 21, 1919-Mike Sokolowski & Steve Szczerbanowicz

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, Ab Chp 6, 1925
———-

WNF, Winnipeg GS Bloody Saturday, June 21, 1919
———-

WE NEVER FORGET
The Martyrs of the Winnipeg General Strike
Who Lost Their Lives in Freedom’s Cause
on Bloody Saturday, June 21, 1919

Blooday Saturday

Bloody Saturday, Wpg GS, WLN Strike Bltn p1, June 23, 1919The Western Labor News, Special Strike Edition No. 32, of June 23, 1919 described events of Saturday, June 21st:One is dead and a number injured, probably thirty or more, as result of the forcible prevention of the “silent parade” which had been planned by returned men to start at 2.30 o’clock last Saturday afternoon…..

On Saturday, about 2.30 p.m., just the time when the parade was scheduled to start, some 50 mounted men swinging baseball bats rode down Main Street. Half were red-coated R.N.W.M.P., the others wore khaki. They quickened pace as they passed the Union Bank. The crowd opened, let them through and closed in behind them. They turned and charged through the crowd again, greeted by hisses, boos, and some stones. There were two riderless horses with the squad when it emerged and galloped up Main Street. The men in khaki disappeared at this juncture, but the red-coats reined their horses and reformed opposite the old post office.

Shooting to Kill

Then, with revolvers drawn, they galloped down Main Street, turned, and charged right into the crowd on William Avenue, firing as they charged. One man, standing on the sidewalk, thought the mounties were firing blank cartridges until a spectator standing beside him dropped with a bullet through his breast. Another standing nearby was shot through the head. We have no exact information about the total number of casualties, but there were not less than thirty. The crowd dispersed as quickly as possible when the shooting began.

Mike Skolowski & Steve Szczerbanowicz

From “Winipeg General Strike…Two Ukrainians Killed”
-by Peter J. Manastyrsky:

Mike Sokolowski, GraveStone, June 21, 1919Mike Sokolowski (AKA: Sokolowiski) was killed in front of City Hall on what came to be known as Bloody Saturday, shot by the Royal Canadian Northwest Mounted Police during the fighting. Sokolowski was the only person killed in the riot and buried at Winnipeg’s Brookside Cemetery (section 45, plot 450). Mike Sokolowski’s grave was unmarked for over 80 years until June 20, 2003. As part of the Brookside Cemetery’s 125th Anniversary, a donation was made to purchase a headstone for Mike Sokolowski.

Steve Szczerbanowicz, GraveStone, June 21 1919On the other hand, Steve Szczerbanowicz (AKA: Sheebaubucz, Schezerbanowicz, Schezerbanowes) after being shot through both legs by a police officer during the Winnipeg General Strike on June 23rd, died due to a gangrene infection. For 96 years Steve Szczerbanowicz was buried at an unmarked grave at Brookside Cemetery but on June 20th, 2015 funds were raised to cover the cost of a gravestone in memory of Steve Szczerbanowicz (section 80, plot 7) victim of the six-week Winnipeg General Strike.

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Hellraisers Journal: Winnipeg Strike Bulletin: “Bloody Saturday-R.N.W.M.P. Make Gory Debut” Shoot Peaceful Citizens

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Wpg GS Spirit Unbreakable, WLNs May 19, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday June 24, 1919
Winnipeg General Strike News: Mounties and Specials Attack “Silent Parade”

From Western Labor News Special Strike Edition No. 32 of June 23, 1919:

BLOODY SATURDAY

R.N.W.M.P. Make Gory Debut
-Peaceful Citizens Shot Without Warning
-City Under Military Control
-Returned Men Incensed
-Strikers More Determined.

Wpg GS, Bloody Sat, After the Shooting, Wpg Tb p2 June 23, 1919

One is dead and a number injured, probably thirty or more, as result of the forcible prevention of the “silent parade” which had been planned by returned men to start at 2.30 o’clock last Saturday afternoon. Apparently the bloody business was carefully planned, for Mayor Gray issued a proclamation in the morning stating that “Any women taking part in a parade do so at their own risk.” Nevertheless a vast crowd of men, women and children assembled to witness the “silent parade.”

The Soldiers’ Committee, which had been interviewing Senator Robertson, had not returned to their comrades when the latter commenced to line up on Main Street, near the city hall.

No attempt was made to use the special city police to prevent the parade. On a previous occasion a dozen of the old regular city police had persuaded the returned men to abandon a parade which had commenced to move.

On Saturday, about 2.30 p.m., just the time when the parade was scheduled to start, some 50 mounted men swinging baseball bats rode down Main Street. Half were red-coated R.N.W.M.P., the others wore khaki. They quickened pace as they passed the Union Bank. The crowd opened, let them through and closed in behind them. They turned and charged through the crowd again, greeted by hisses, boos, and some stones. There were two riderless horses with the squad when it emerged and galloped up Main Street. The men in khaki disappeared at this juncture, but the red-coats reined their horses and reformed opposite the old post office.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Winnipeg Strike Bulletin: “Bloody Saturday-R.N.W.M.P. Make Gory Debut” Shoot Peaceful Citizens” →

Hellraisers Journal: Winnipeg Labor Temple Raided; Ten Strike Leaders Transported to Stonewall Penitentiary

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Joe Hill, General Strike, Workers Awaken, LRSB Oct 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 21, 1919
Winnipeg, Manitoba – News from the General Strike

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of June 18, 1919:

Wpg GS, Raid on Labor Temple, Btt Dly Bltn p1, June 18, 1919
Wpg GS, Ten Labor Leaders Arrested, Btt Dly Bltn p1, June 18, 1919

—–

(Special United Press Wire.)

Winnipeg, June 18.-As a result of the sensational raid made here by federal officials, 10 labor leaders are prisoners and are being held incommunicado in Stony Mountain penitentiary, with the northwest mounted police guarding the labor temple. No person is permitted within 100 yards of the building. Warrants were issued for four others.

Military intelligence officers and other government officers have been planning the raid for a week, but had deferred action until the government could supply the powerful weapon desired in the drastic deportation act. Under this law all aliens and “British-born trouble makers” can be deported.

Charge Inciting Police Force.

The arrests were based on warrants charging “inciting the police force to neglect of duty” and responsibility for publication in the strike bulletin last Wednesday of a special article containing “false and libelous statements.” The story was headed, “Police Replaced by Thugs,” and vigorously attacked the special constables. Civic authorities were assailed for dismissing the regular police force.

The 10 men in prison are Aldermen John Queen and A. C. Capps [A. A. Heaps], the Rev. William Ivens, George Armstrong, R. [B]. Russell, R. E. Bray, [M.] Charitonoff, Moses Almazoff, Mike Berentozuk [Verenchuck] and A. C. Schoppelreidk [S. Choppelrei].

The police also raided the labor temple, Ukrainian hall and Liberty hall, where a vast quantity of literature was seized. The utmost secrecy surrounded the plans for the arrests. Every man arrested submitted quietly on being shown the official warrant.

Of the four men for whom warrants were issued, Sam Blumenberg is reported to have crossed the border into the United States. W. A. Pritchard, a prominent Vancouver labor leader, is said to be on his way to the Pacific coast; R. J. Johns, local labor leader, is in Montreal, and B. Devyatkin, a Russian, cannot be located.

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Hellraisers Journal: Returned Soldiers and City Police Stand with Winnipeg General Strike; Massive March on Parliament

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Quote Returned Soldiers re Wpg GS, Strike Bltn, June 2, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday June 3, 1919
Winnipeg, Manitoba – Soldiers and Police Support General Strike

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of May 31, 1919:

Wpg GS, Soldiers Police w Strkrs, Btt Dly Bltn p1, May 31, 1919
Wpg GS, 9 Cops on Job, Vets Spk, Btt Dly Bltn p1, May 31, 1919

(Special United Press Wire.)

Winnipeg, May 31.-The police force now consists only of nine men, 181 officers having automatically been discharged yesterday when they refused to sign an agreement with the city severing their connections with labor.

The policemen had voted their approval of the demands in the general strike, but had not voted to strike themselves. An effort is being made to have the mounted police do the city patrolling.

Returned soldiers asked that the principle of collective bargaining be placed in the provincial statutes and also asked that the city officials with draw their demands on the police.

———-

[Emphasis added.]

From the Winnipeg Strike Bulletin of June 2, 1919:

THE SOLDIER AND THE STRIKE

The severest jolt the financial magnates of Winnipeg ever got was administered by the returned soldiers early in the strike, when the mass meeting representing all the returned soldier bodies reversed the decision of the combined executives and threw in their lot with the strikers.

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