Site of Bloody Friday confrontation
Minneapolis, MN, July 20, 1934
Teamsters in Minneapolis went on strike on May 16, 1934 to expand union membership to those who worked inside of the warehouses and docks in addition to all truck drivers. After much violence and mayhem, an agreement was reached to settle the strike. Soon after, the employers reneged on the agreement, forcing the union to resume the strike.
On Friday, July 20 a single truck escorted by fifty policemen broke through the picket lines to make a delivery at 3rd St. and 6th Ave. N. After picketers cut off the truck, police opened fire on the strikers, killing two and wounding at least sixty-seven. A governor’s commission later concluded that the police fired to kill, with no threat to their own safety. Governor Olson then declared martial law and had the national guard patrol the city. On August 21 an agreement was reached with the help of a federal mediator, ending the strike. This was a pivotal event in removing employer resistance to unionization in Minneapolis.
