The first general strike in Canadian history takes place in Vancouver.
The Vancouver general strike on 2 August 1918 was the first general strike in Canadian history. There had been talks of organizing a general strike for quite some time due to federal conscription, censorship of socialist publications, and workers' demands for higher wages. War-time inflation reduced real income profoundly and throughout the First World War Vancouver shipbuilders experienced a labour shortage. Numerous government policies had suppressed the work of labour activists such as strikes, lockouts and certain presses being banned. Workers were also inspired by factors such as the Bolshevik Revolution the previous year and the rising cost of living. The strike was eventually organized as a one-day political protest after the killing of draft evader and labour activist Albert "Ginger" Goodwin on 27 July. He had previously called for a general strike in case any worker was drafted against their will.
The strike was met with violence from returned soldiers who had been mobilized and supplied with vehicles to storm the Labour Temple at 411 Dunsmuir Street (the present-day 411 Seniors Centre). Some opposition claimed the strike was a product of a Bolshevik conspiracy. Three hundred men ransacked the offices of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council (VTLC). After attempting to throw VTLC secretary Victor Midgely out of a window, the soldiers forced him and a longshoreman to kiss the Union Jack. A woman working in the office was also badly bruised when she prevented Midgely from being thrown out the window. Prominent suffragette and member of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council Helena Gutteridge was also at the scene.Strike leaders could point to the vote by VTLC delegates that supported the strike 117 to 1. After the strike, in response to opposition from the business and middle class, all the strike leaders resigned. Nearly all were re-elected in the ensuing election, demonstrating widespread support for the general strike among organized workers.
Although the strike call was province-wide, it was only in the city of Vancouver that it took general strike proportions. Numerous other strikes took place in the city that year, and the general strike was as much a show of labour strength as it was a political protest over Goodwin's death. At the time the strike was controversial, some saw Goodwin as a martyr for the labour movement while others saw the strike as a betrayal of Canadian ideals. Although only one day in duration, the 1918 strike was an important marker in the Canadian labour revolt that peaked with the Winnipeg General Strike the following year. A 1919 Vancouver strike in sympathy with Winnipeg is still the longest general strike in Canadian history.
A general strike is a form of protest for social or political goals in which all participants cease all economic activity, such as, working, attending school, shopping, going to the movies, etc. General strikes are organized by large coalitions of political, social, and labour organizations. General strikes might exclude care workers—such as teachers, doctors, and nurses—since these people leaving their jobs could lead to harm. General strikes may also include rallies, marches, boycotts, civil disobedience, non-payment of taxes, and other forms of direct or indirect action.
Since their inception in the 19th century, people have used general strikes in order to seek "democracy, political representation and the provision of basic education and healthcare". General strikes became more common in Europe in the late 18th century as free labourers sought expanded rights.The tradition of general strikes has continued into the present, with several general strikes being announced around the world in the last two decades.