Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: publication of certain socialist newspapers.All of the resolutions were defeated.In response, the western group decided to organise its own conference in March 1919 in Calgary to further their aims.Speakers at the Calgary conference shockingly denounced Samuel Gompers, an action comparable to hearing Catholic speakers criticise the Pope.There were several heated speeches on the state of labour and politics, and radical action was proposed.Ultimately, a resolution was passed, approving the formation of the One Big Union (OBU) and its weapon of choice the national general strike.The call was for a Canada-wide strike beginning on June 1, 1919.Dick Johns of Winnipeg and thirty-year-old Bill Pritchard of Vancouver were among those elected to the central executive of the OBU at the Calgary conference.Pritchard, the son of a coal miner, was an athletic and eloquent Welshman.Because of his oratorical ability, he was recognised as one of the Sociali Pa of Canada leading eake .Hi eeche con ained h mo , sarcasm, stinging criticism, personal modesty, and warmth.Despite their length, he had no trouble holding the attention of his audiences.Religion a f e en l a a ge of he Ma i ociali ho ega ded i a he o ia e of he eo le.In a eech a he confe ence, P i chard ridiculed an o onen heological fo nda ion i h a efe ence o he la e M .Ch i .His use of sacrilegious remarks as a weapon during verbal sparring established his reputation as a formidable opponent, but would be later turned against him.Whether or not there was an attempt at a revolution in Canada, as was later charged against many of the socialist speakers, remains debatable.But there is no doubt that the supporters of the resolutions proposed at the Calgary conference intended a true revolution in the ranks of labour.The employers, however, were equally determined.A chasm had formed and the two sides would endure a long and arduous battle.***** CHAPTER THREE n Winnipeg, like elsewhere in Western Canada, a large percentage of the labour force was seasonal workers struggling to earn a living.Even if a person had steady employment, it was not likely to pay a subsistence wage.Acco ding o Mani oba Minim m Wage Boa d, el e dolla e eek a I
Source: Manitoba Law Journal
DOI: 10.29173/mlj1166
Author: Manitoba Law Journal
Language: English
Topic: Labor Movements and Unions
Subfield: Industrial relations
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4396715990