Albert Goodwin
Encyclopedia
Albert "Ginger" Goodwin (May 10, 1887 – 27 July 1918) inspired the first General Strike
in Canada
on August 2, 1918 in Vancouver, British Columbia. This strike preceded the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
, an important moment in Canadian labour history.
Goodwin was born in Treeton
, Yorkshire
, England, and was a coal miner for most of his life. He mined in England, in Nova Scotia, and on Vancouver Island. It appears that the vicious coal strike on Vancouver Island in 1912-13 radicalized Goodwin's views. Goodwin was elected vice-president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour
in 1917 and secretary of the Trail Mill and Smeltermen's Union, Local 105 of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Goodwin also ran unsuccessfully for the Socialist Party of Canada
in Trail in 1916.
During World War I
, Goodwin was examined and considered temporarily unfit for military duty because he was suffering from miner's black lung
and bad teeth. The conscription
board reversed its decision after Goodwin led the strike at the Trail, B.C
, lead/zinc smelter in 1917 for the eight hour day. As a pacifist opposed to the war, Goodwin fled Cumberland for the bush where he successfully avoided capture for some months with the aid of his fellow workers from Cumberland.
Hunted by the police for evading the draft, Goodwin camped in the hills surrounding Cumberland, British Columbia
. On July 27, 1918, he was shot and killed by Dominion Police
Special Constable
Dan Campbell. Goodwin was given a large funeral, but Campbell, who claimed he fired in self-defense, was never tried for the death. His killing sparked the Vancouver general strike in August 1918.
The Ginger Group
, a faction of radical Progressive and Labour Members of Parliament who split in 1924 and advocated socialism, were named after Goodwin. The new highway near Cumberland was briefly named for Goodwin, though the
resulting removal of the name signs indicates the continuing controversy over Goodwin's death and legacy.
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on August 2, 1918 in Vancouver, British Columbia. This strike preceded the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and became the platform for future labour reforms....
, an important moment in Canadian labour history.
Goodwin was born in Treeton
Treeton
Treeton is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It is located about south of the town of Rotherham and east of Sheffield City Centre.-History:...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England, and was a coal miner for most of his life. He mined in England, in Nova Scotia, and on Vancouver Island. It appears that the vicious coal strike on Vancouver Island in 1912-13 radicalized Goodwin's views. Goodwin was elected vice-president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour
British Columbia Federation of Labour
British Columbia Federation of Labour is the voice of the Labour movement in British Columbia, Canada.Founded in 1910 and now having over 470,000 individual members and 1100 locals or union sections, the BC Federation of Labour is the provincial Canadian Labour Congress affiliate and the umbrella...
in 1917 and secretary of the Trail Mill and Smeltermen's Union, Local 105 of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Goodwin also ran unsuccessfully for the Socialist Party of Canada
Socialist Party of Canada
There have been two different but related political parties in Canada that called themselves the Socialist Party of Canada . The current Socialist Party is an electorally inactive and unregistered federal political party in Canada...
in Trail in 1916.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Goodwin was examined and considered temporarily unfit for military duty because he was suffering from miner's black lung
Black lung
Black lung can mean several things:* Black lung disease, the common name for coalworker's pneumoconiosis* Black Lung, an electronic and industrial music project by Australian musician David Thrussell...
and bad teeth. The conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
board reversed its decision after Goodwin led the strike at the Trail, B.C
Trail, British Columbia
Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...
, lead/zinc smelter in 1917 for the eight hour day. As a pacifist opposed to the war, Goodwin fled Cumberland for the bush where he successfully avoided capture for some months with the aid of his fellow workers from Cumberland.
Hunted by the police for evading the draft, Goodwin camped in the hills surrounding Cumberland, British Columbia
Cumberland, British Columbia
Cumberland is a town in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.-History:The village was originally named Union, British Columbia after the Union Coal Company, which was in turn named in honour of the 1871 union of British Columbia with Canada. The town was renamed after...
. On July 27, 1918, he was shot and killed by Dominion Police
Dominion Police
In 1868 the Dominion Police began as a police force protecting the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and by 1911 it served as Canada's eastern police force .In May 1918, the 969...
Special Constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
Dan Campbell. Goodwin was given a large funeral, but Campbell, who claimed he fired in self-defense, was never tried for the death. His killing sparked the Vancouver general strike in August 1918.
The Ginger Group
Ginger group
A ginger group is a formal or informal group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity....
, a faction of radical Progressive and Labour Members of Parliament who split in 1924 and advocated socialism, were named after Goodwin. The new highway near Cumberland was briefly named for Goodwin, though the
resulting removal of the name signs indicates the continuing controversy over Goodwin's death and legacy.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Daily Bleed Calendar May 10, 1887 Reference page