Mr. Speaker, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike, six weeks that forever changed the landscape for the labour movement in Canada.
Women played an integral role in the movement, which managed to continue public service delivery throughout its six-week duration. It was women who began the strike at 7 a.m., on May 15. Telephone operators, the “Hello Girls”, walked off the job. They unplugged the phone lines and even removed the fuses, effectively disrupting communications for the power elite.
While Helen Armstrong, better known as “Ma”, receives little mention compared to the male members of the strike committee, she was a pivotal leader, providing food and shelter to women affected by the strike. Helen was arrested and jailed more often than her male counterparts.
The strike changed the lives of workers by enabling them to believe a better world is possible. Today, it is as it was. Women are leading the way to creating that better world. Just watch us.