HUGE STRIKE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 29 May 1919, Page 7

HUGE STRIKE

MANY THOUSANDS OUT.

TROUBLE THROUGHOUT CANADA.

(BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) (Reuter.) (Received May 29, 1.10 p.m.) OTTAWA, May 15. Industry ni Winnipeg is at a standstill, and there is a general strike in sympathy with the metal trades for union recognition. Seme weeks ago these trades asked for higher wages, shorter hours, and union recognition. Ihe companies refused, but agreed to arbitration. The unions refused arbitration on the principle of collective bargaining. The companies thereupon agreed to the demands for higher wages and shorter hours, but refused to deal with any of the unions outside their own employees. To-day the climax was reached. Street car employees, telephone, postal and elevator staffs, thousands of clerks, stenographers, general workers, and firemen came out. Stereotypers and pressmen joined the strike, and the newspapers have suspended publication. The police walked out, but the Strike Committee ordered them to resume duty to preserve order. Sufficient bakers were also retained to supply bread to the hospitals, while the Citizens' Committee manned the fire stations. Most of the shops are closed, and will not be opened until they have received permission of the strike leaders, who claim that 26,000 workers have struck. On the 16th bread and milk depots opened to relieve distress. A big force of police has been drafted in. There was some rioting this morning, and a few injured. At Manitoba the Government employees, who are demanding a fifty per cent advance in wages, struck on the 26th. The strike has spread to Cai--1 gary, Edmonton, and Saskaton. The postal employees refused to obey the Government order to resume work, and volunteer pootmen are delivering the mails at Toronto. The labor leaders declare that 45,000 members of 50 unions will strike on Wednesday, 28tb, unless the metal workers' demands are conceded.