On this day in Labor History the year was 1931.
Canadian Coal miners, their wives, and children marched through the streets of Estevan, Saskatchewan.
The miners were on strike for union recognition, and better pay and working conditions.
Safety was a major concern for the 600 men and boys who worked in the mines.
Water collected in many of the work areas.
Too often the mine companies failed to replace rotted timber so roof cave-ins were frequent.
Inadequate ventilation led to high concentrations of carbon dioxide.
For braving this dangerous underground work, the miners earned only 25 cents for each ton of coal.
The miners had joined the Mine Workers Union of Canada earlier that year.
They called a strike in September, but coal mine operators refused to meet their demands.
Miners and their families decided to demonstrate in the town of Estevan to gain community support.
The mayor banned the demonstration and called upon the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to crush the march.
The Mounties met several hundred miners and their families, and attempted to block the procession.
They opened fire on the unarmed crowd.
Three striking miners were killed and many others were wounded and arrested.
Finally, On October 6, the mine owners finally agreed to an eight-hour day and a minimum wage of $4 a day.
But they refused to recognize the union.
It was not until the end of World War II that the United Mine Workers finally won recognition in the Saskatchewan coal fields.
The strike remains a controversial event in Estevan.
The three miners who were killed have the inscription “murdered by RCMP” on their headstones.
Over the years locals have alternately erased and restored these inscriptions.
Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show