Minnesota Labor History Tour

Discover the dramatic story of work and labor in Minnesota from the nineteenth century to today. On this tour, a Mill City Museum guide will tell of the actions taken by workers and activists to improve the lives of working people, including those in the milling industry and in related industries throughout the city, and the response of management in the Citizens Alliance to create anti-union policies.

Tour guests will also gain insight into how labor was divided across lines of race, class, and gender and the role of organized labor today. Among the stories highlighted will be the 1903 and 1917 flour milling strikes, the Truckers Strike of 1934, and the life and career of Nellie Stone Johnson, a union organizer and the first African American elected to citywide office in Minneapolis.

The tour will take place in the historic Washburn A Mill. The tour includes no more than 1 mile of moderately paced walking on uneven surfaces. General admission to the museum is included in the cost of the tour.