Minneapolis General Strike (1934) On this day in 1934, a general strike broke out in Minneapolis, shutting down local commercial transport. The strike began the career of Farrell Dobbs, a...
Minneapolis General Strike (1934) On this day in 1934, a general strike broke out in Minneapolis, shutting down local commercial transport. The strike began the career of Farrell Dobbs, a...
Minneapolis General Strike (1934)
Fri Mar 16, 1934
Image: Rioting teamsters battling police during a 1934 strike in Minneapolis [britannica.com]
On this day in 1934, a general strike broke out in Minneapolis, shutting down most local commercial transport. The strike began the career of Farrell Dobbs, a Trotskyist union leader, and caused widespread unionization throughout the city.
The strike grew out of Teamsters labor action against most of the trucking companies operating in Minneapolis, the major distribution center for the Upper Midwest.
The strike was effective, shutting down most commercial transport in the city with the exception of certain farmers, who were allowed to bring their produce into town, but delivering directly to grocers, rather than to the market area, which the union had shut down.
The worst single day of violence was Friday, July 20th, known as "Bloody Friday", when police shot at strikers who were blocking off the delivery of company merchandise, killing two and injuring sixty-seven.
Ensuing violence lasted periodically throughout the summer before the strike was formally ended on August 22nd, with most of the union demands being met.
- Date: 1934-03-16
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, libcom.org, mndigital.org, libguides.mnhs.org.
- Tags: #Labor, #General Strikes.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org