September 29, 2025
On September 29, 1931, the streets of Estevan, Saskatchewan, ran dark with tragedy, defiance, and the blood of working men
demanding dignity. What history remembers as a “riot,” we remember as Black Tuesday, a defining moment in the struggle for workers’ rights in Canada, and a solemn chapter in the story of the United Mine Workers of America.
Miners from Bienfait and the Souris Valley region had endured inhumane working conditions, long hours,
low pay, and unsafe mines that treated men like disposable tools rather than human beings. They were not just fighting for better wages or shorter days. They were fighting for the right to live and work with dignity.
When these miners reached out to the UMWA for representation, we answered the call. Our organizers came to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, not just to sign cards, but to build power, together. The mine owners and local authorities saw this as a threat to their control. What followed was a display of repression meant to silence the just demands of working people.
On that Tuesday in 1931, hundreds of miners and their families gathered to march peacefully into Estevan to rally support for their cause. What met them instead were armed police, batons, bullets, and bloodshed. Three miners, Nick Nargang, Peter Markunas, and Julian Gryshko, were killed. Many others were injured. Dozens were arrested. The price they paid for justice was their lives.
But they did not die in vain.
Let history be clear: the violence that occurred on Black Tuesday was not caused by the miners or the UMWA; it was inflicted upon them. The demand for basic human rights, collective bargaining, and the right to organize was met with brutality. And yet, the spirit of those men was never broken. The struggle they began would lay the groundwork for future generations of Canadian workers to organize, to unionize, and to stand up without fear.
Today, nearly a century later, the United Mine Workers of America continues to represent miners in Estevan and across Saskatchewan. We have never turned our backs on our Canadian brothers and sisters. The blood spilled on the streets of Estevan flows through the veins of our union to this day, a reminder of what was sacrificed and what must never be forgotten.
The legacy of Black Tuesday lives not only in words but in action. In 2020, UMWA Local 7606 undertook the restoration of the coal car monument at Coal Miners’ Corner in Estevan, the site where community members gather to reflect on the strike and its cost. Spearheaded by Dave Dukart and supported by local partners like Skylift Services and Doug Dawson’s garage, the coal car was carefully moved, rebuilt, and given new life.
The accompanying plaque, weathered by time, was refurbished by Dynamic Signs so that the names and dates now stand out once again, clear and bold. This renewed monument does more than commemorate; it connects generations, standing as a visible reminder of the miners’ courage and the community’s promise to never forget.
The UMWA’s commitment to Canadian workers is not a slogan. It is a legacy. It is a responsibility. And it is a promise.
To every Canadian member of the UMWA: your voice matters. Your history matters. And your fight is our fight. We will continue to advocate for fair contracts, safe workplaces, and secure pensions. We will never forget the fallen of Black Tuesday. Their courage built the foundation upon which our solidarity stands today.
Let their memory guide us forward, and let their sacrifice fuel our resolve.
