>> Eric: SUMMER OF 1934 FULL OF GREAT LABOR UNREST ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT STRIKES THAT SUMMER OCCURRED RIGHT HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

TWO STRIKING TEAMSTERS DIED ON WHAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "BLOODY FRIDAY."

THIS SATURDAY MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRUCKER STRIKE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS MARKET DISTRICT.

MINNEAPOLIS PAST, WHICH WAS A TPT-PRODUCED DOCUMENTARY FROM YEARS GONE BY TOLD THE STORY OF THE 1934 TRUCKERS' STRIKE AND HERE'S A SHORT EXCERPT.

>> IN THE SUMMER OF 1934 THE NATION'S EYES WERE FIXED ON THE TEAMSTERS STRIKE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS MARKET DISTRICT.

THROUGH THE MARKET LOOKS LIKE A THRIVING PLACE IN THESE PHOTOS, THERE WERE MANY PROBLEMS HERE IN THE EARLY '30S.

THE FARM ECONOMY WAS IN A MESS.

WAGES IN THE CITY WERE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

BUSINESS OWNERS HAD A STRIKE-BREAKING ORGANIZATION CALLED THE CITIZENS ALLIANCE, AND THEY DESPERATELY FOUGHT TO HANG ONTO THEIR DWINDLING PROFITS AND TO THEIR CONTROL.

♪♪ >> MEMBERS.

TEAMSTERS LOCAL 574 WENT ON STRIKE IN AY AND THE STRIKE WAS LONG AND BRUTAL.

DURING THE FIRST MONTH THERE WERE MANY VIOLENT FIGHTS BETWEEN THE TRUCKERS AND BUSINESSMEN.

DOZENS OF WORKERS WERE INJURED IN THE FIGHTING, AND TWO MANAGEMENT SUPPORTERS WERE BEATEN TO DEATH BY STRIKERS.

♪♪ THE VIOLENCE CONTINUED LATER THAT SUMMER.

IN JULY, TWO MEMBERS OF THE TEAMSTERS WERE SHOT TO DEATH BY POLICE.

THE CITY MARKET HAD BECOME A BATTLEGROUND BETWEEN TWO ARMIES.

♪♪ THE STRIKE WAS PART OF THE YEAR OF NTENSE LABOR VIOLENCE AROUND THE COUNTRY.

IT SEEMED THE NATION WAS ON THE BRINK OF CLASS WARFARE.

>> THE YEAR WAS ONE OF VIOLENT LABOR TROUBLES AND STRIKES, SAN FRANCISCO'S GENERAL STRIKE GRIPPED THE CITY IN A DEATH-LIKE CLUTCH.

A GASOLINE SHORTAGE STOPPED ALMOST EVERY WHEEL IN TOWN.

EVERYONE WALKED OR STAYED AT HOME.

IN MINNEAPOLIS A TRUCK DRIVER STRIKE WAS CLIMAXED BY SEVERE RIOTS AND FIGHTS BETWEEN THE STRIKERS AND POLICE WITH MANY CASUALTIES.

AUTO ACCESSORY WORKER STRIKE IN TOLEDO, HAD TO RESORT TO TEAR GAS, LEAD AND EARL TO TEMPER THE STRIKERS.

CIVIC STRIKES AT ITS WORST.

>> LABOR RIGHTS GOVERNOR FLYD B. OLSON HAD ENOUGH.

IN A MOVE THAT PLEASED NEITHER SIDE OLSON IMPOSED MARSHAL LAW AND CALLED THE NATIONAL GUARD TO RESTORE ORDER.

AT THE PRESSURE FROM WASHINGTON, MANAGEMENT BACKED DOWN.

THE STRIKERS HAD WON.

THE CITIZENS ALLIANCE, THE GROUP WHICH HAD KEPT MINNEAPOLIS A NON-UNION TOWN FOR THREE DECADES WAS FORCED TO ADMIT DEFEAT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

>> Eric: JOINING S NOW LINDA LEIGHTON, LABOR ACTIVIST, GRANDDAUGHTER OF PROMINENT STRIKE LEADER RAY DUNNE.

WITH HER IS FORMER ST. OF ST.

CLOUD PROFESSOR AND ORGANIZER OF THE ART EXHIBIT 1934 AND NOW, KEITH CHRISTIANSEN.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

TELL US ABOUT GRANDPA.

>> HE WAS REMARKABLE.

AND HE DIED WHEN I WAS JUST NOT QUITE 23 -- OR, I'M SORRY, 23.

THE AND HE WAS NOT -- WE DIDN'T SEE HIM A LOT WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG BECAUSE HE WAS STILL VERY ACTIVE AS A UNION WORKER AND WITH THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY.

BUT MY GRANDMOTHER OF COURSE FILLED IN AND HE CAME TO THE MAJOR HOLIDAYS.

WHEN HE GOT OLDER I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET TO KNOW HIM EVEN BETTER AND HE WAS A REMARKABLE MAN WHO WAS VERY KIND, ACCEPTING OF EVERYONE, AND VERY INTERESTED N ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY TOO.

>> Cathy: SAY, KEITH, WHEN YOU SEE THOSE NEWS REALIZE AND BERMAN'S VOICE, AND HOW HE USED TO SAY THIS EVENT, THE '34 TRUCKERS STRIKE WAS PIVOTAL AND PEOPLE REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT AND AHE WAS ALWAYS UPSET ABOUT THAT.

WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SEE SOME OF THE THAT OLD FOOTAGE?

>> IT CAME TO ME IT'S A KIND OF HIDDEN HISTORY.

AND IS SO WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, LEARNING ABOUT IT AND UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF IT, IT SHOWED ME THE ROOTS OF A LOT OF ACTIVISM TODAY THAT I'VE WITNESSED.

>> Cathy: LINDA, WHAT DID YOUR GRANDPA SAY ABOUT THIS?

DID HE GO IN-DEPTH WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO HIM ABOUT WHAT THIS WAS LIKE TO LIVE THROUGH IT?

>> HE ARELY TALKED ABOUT IT.

WE GOT A LOT OF OUR INFORMATION FROM MY MOTHER.

HE WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE PRESENT.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE WORLD THAT WAS ADVANCING WORKING PEOPLE'S CAUSES WAS WHAT HE MOSTLY WAS ENCOURAGED BY.

>> Eric: AND YOU PICKED UP THE TORCH IT SOUNDS LIKE.

>> I TRIED TO.

I HAVEN'T DONE AS MUCH.

>> Eric: HOW DID HIS EXAMPLE SERVE YOU AS YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR WORKING YEARS?

>> I KIND OF TELL THIS AS A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY.

HE ALWAYS WORE A SUIT AND MOST OF THE OTHER STRIKE LEADERS DIDN'T.

AND HE TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, I JUST -- I FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THEIR PLANE WHEN I'M MEETING WITH THE BOSSES AND WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CHARGE.

POLITICIANS AND WHATNOT.

AND WHEN I WAS -- I WAS A LONG-TIME STEWARD IN SEIU 284 AND I THINK I PICKED UP FROM HIM THE FEELING HA IN LABOR THINGS THE WORKERS HAVE A VOICE TOO, AN IMPORTANT VOICE, AND SO I ALWAYS FELT COMFORTABLE PUTTING MYSELF IN THAT POSITION.

>> Cathy: SAY, KEITH, I'M WONDERING, THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS EVENT IS JUST REALLY REVERBERATED FOR YEARS AFTER, OBVIOUSLY.

AND WHAT, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED DURING THIS STRIKE?

>> BECAUSE IT'S RELEVANT AND WE KIND OF NEED SOME OF THE LESSONS I THINK YOU CAN LEARN FROM THAT STRIKE.

NUMBER ONE LESSON IS SOLIDARITY, THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DEPRESSION, THEY FOUGHT LIKE HELL, SOME OF THEM DIED, BUT THEY WERE EFFECTIVE AND THEY WON THEIR STRIKE.

>> Eric: F.D.R.

GOT INVOLVED, RIGHT?

>> HE DID, HE PROBABLY WAS THE ONE TO SETTLE IT BUT HE ALSO PUT PEOPLE BACK IN AIL TOO LATER, SO.

>> Eric: WHAT PRESSURE POINT DID HE HAVE ON THE ALLIANCE, THE BUSINESSPEOPLE?

>> THE BANKERS.

HE CALLED IN THE LOANS AND THEY SETTLED VERY QUICKLY AFTER THAT.

>> Cathy: FLYD B. OLSON ALSO PLAYED A BIG ROLE AS YOU SAW IN THAT DOCUMENTARY TOO.

AND I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF HIS ROLE, LINDA.

>> WELL, HE WAS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND HE WAS PUT IN A REALLY TOUGH PLACE IN A LOT OF WAYS.

THE STRIKERS I THINK ORIGINALLY COUNTED ON MORE SUPPORT FROM HIM AND HE BECAME A DISAPPOINTMENT DURING THE STRUGGLE.

>> Eric: WAS THERE CONCERN FOR YOUR GRANDFATHER'S SAFETY?

>> ALWAYS.

>> Eric: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, HOW DID FAMILY HANDLE ALL THAT >> I THINK IT WASN'T JUST MY GRANDPA, IT WASN'T ABOUT THE LEADERS AS MUCH AS IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE STRIKE.

LIKE KEITH SAID, THE SOLIDARITY.

EVERY SINGLE FAMILY THAT HAD SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN THE STRIKES WORRIED EVERY DAY WHETHER THEY WERE GOING TO COME HOME OR NOT.

BECAUSE OF THE THINGS GOING ON.

>> Cathy: AND BY THE WAY, FOR FOLKS -- I WAS -- WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS OFF AIR BUT WHERE THE PLAQUE IS DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS THAT COMMEMORATES THIS EXACTLY, DO YOU KNOW?

>> 701 THIRD TREET NORTH.

>> Cathy: THIRD STREET NORTH.

YEAH, THAT'S THE SITE OF WHERE ALL THE UNREST -- >> BLOODY FRIDAY, 67 WORKERS WERE SHOT, MOST OF THEM IN THE BACK, TWO WERE KILLED.

>> Eric: THE EXHIBITS AT THE MINNEAPOLIS CENTRAL LIBRARY ON NICOLLET MALL.

>> RIGHT, I'M THE ORGANIZER AND PARTICIPANT IN AN EXHIBITION AT THE MINNESOTA CENTRAL LIBRARY.

>> Eric: WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION?

>> WELL, WE'RE GIVING TOURS IN FACT THIS WEEK THERE WILL BE A TOUR WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP WHO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLIDARITY WITH LABOR AS WELL AS HOW IT RELATES TO CURRENT CONDITIONS.

>> Cathy: NOW, LINDA, AS A PERSON WHO'S KIND OF LIVING HISTORY BECAUSE OF OUR GRANDFATHER IN A SENSE, SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S -- WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUNG PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 1934?

>> I WANT THEM TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN PEOPLE FELT THEY HAD A RIGHT TO SOMETHING AND WANTED TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER, THEY SHOULD GO AHEAD AND FIGHT FOR IT.

>> Cathy: AND IS THERE A PICNIC BY THE WAY COMING UP TO CELEBRATE?

>> THERE'S A GATHERING.

>> Cathy: THERE'S A GATHERING.

>> ON THE 27TH OF THIS MONTH, AND IT WILL BE AT MINNEHAHA PARK.

WAHBAN PARK.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU