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The '''Vancouver General Strike of 1918''' was the [[List of General Strikes|first general strike]] in [[Canada|Canadian]] history and took place on the [[Timeline of | The '''Vancouver General Strike of 1918''' was the [[List of General Strikes|first general strike]] in [[Canada|Canadian]] history and took place on the [[Timeline of Anarchism in North America|2nd of August]] [[Revolutions of 1916 - 1923|1918]], it lasted only one day. It was part of a broader strike wave in Canada and the USA. | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
Latest revision as of 17:50, 3 April 2024
The Vancouver General Strike of 1918 was the first general strike in Canadian history and took place on the 2nd of August 1918, it lasted only one day. It was part of a broader strike wave in Canada and the USA.
Background
The strike had several causes, including:
- Anger at conscription
- Increased cost of living and stagnant wages caused by World War I
- Banning of strikes and socialist media
- The October Revolution in Russia
- The killing of trade union and anti-war activist Albert "Ginger" Goodwin by a private police officer
Events
The strike occurred after the killing of union activist Albert Goodwin, and soldiers immediately tried to repress the strike, claiming it to be a Bolshevik conspiracy. Three hundred soldiers ransacked union officers and forced a union secretary to kiss the Union Jack (the flag of the UK). Although most union leaders resigned, all were reelected in the ensuing union elections.