Milwaukee march commemorates Bay View Massacre

Milwaukee, WI – On Sunday May 4, hundreds of Milwaukee area trade unionists and community members took to the streets to commemorate the 139th anniversary of the Bay View Massacre—one of the bloodiest moments in Wisconsin labor history. Over 14,000 Milwaukee workers, about 5000 of them immigrants from Poland, participated in the 1886 general strike wave demanding the enforcement of an eight-hour workday.

On May 4, 1886, concurrently with the infamous Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, workers had shut down every business in Milwaukee except for the North Chicago Rolling Mills in Bay View. Workers marched on the rolling mill to shut it down. However, Governor Jeremiah Rusk called on 250 National Guardsmen to repress the workers, including orders to shoot to kill. As a result, many were injured and seven people were murdered, including a 13-year-old child.

The commemoration is to honor those who sacrificed their lives – with the intent to continue and build the struggle and the legacy they left behind.

The marchers gathered at the intersection where the workers were ultimately fired upon by the National Guard in 1886 and marched down busy Kinnickinnic Avenue to the memorial near the site of the old Rolling Mill. Several local unions marched with their banners, including members from Teamsters 344, IAM 66, and AFSCME 526. One chant stood out: “Hey Trump, kiss my ass! Here comes the working class!”

The event was emceed by Piper Hogan of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professional 5000 with speeches from Cesar Hernandez of United Brotherhood of Carpenters, William Schroeder of National Association of Letter Carriers, and Monica Luecking-David, president of the Milwaukee VA hospital chapter of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals 5000.

Schroeder spoke about the irony of letter carriers being forced to work more than eight hours a day, but believes in the power of unions to win back what was lost. “I may sound dire,” Schroeder said, “but I think we have much to be optimistic about in the labor movement, as we’ve seen record numbers of workers revitalize the strike and many industries that have long been unorganized are forming unions.”

 “The future is bright”, Hernandez echoed in his speech, which highlighted the major role of immigrant workers in the U.S. economy and the need for solidarity against the Trump administration’s mass deportation attacks.

The commemoration was organized by the Wisconsin Labor History Society with support from members of the MALC Young Workers Committee, who also led the march. After the commemoration, attendees went to historic Puddler’s Hall for a social event featuring pro-union folk music.

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