◆ SpookStack

t INTERVIEW Wits QM get me to join the PMA, and I did at (continued) on my own accord so I could work there. RWhoen the : DMA was organized, Iwagn't working in the lines, 80 didn't take any part in the organization, 1 sympathized with the P Ua, vecause J think Levis gave them a row eerl., 4 new contract wag to be made, and Levis wanted the men Lo hewe 4 lower Wazeé, The maners had a referentum, and rejected tha lower wape scale, but even so, Lewis went ahead and sizned the contract, I sympathized with the men organiging the P Ma because of this action by Lewis, and the miners got a raw deal. "J joined the P MA in April of and became a member of Locil 54, I think that was the numbcr, month or tye afber I joined, there was a meeting for electiun of local ATicers, which I at-ended. In imy of 1937 therc was some trouvle at the ine, but there wae no trowbie betwoen aan want SS ba m7 ~7 aa own ~s tne Lime i began: WOrkKAT: yea and that tine. ine, Mine Was not CLoOseGa Wii au airy time, either by a strike or by the Management. fIn Muy of 1937, when I went on strike with the others, the reason givcn me for the strike was the fact that there was no contract with the F Ma and the Mine, and the mer didn't want to work without a contract. The congract had expired on april 1, and no new onc had been eigned. On that morning, before any men went down inte the mince, groups were talking and Saying thit they didn't want to go down in the mine without: a contract. Som: of the wen went down into the Mine, about half of them, I think, but the fest, including myself, jusc hung around for a while and then came home. "I never want back to the Vine again, end I left my tools and everything ther:. 4 few days later I heard a story that the United Mine Workers were paying some men to try to organize a U MW local in the Hine, @ that was a resson for the etrike. I didn't mow ariything about these mon at the time. I went out on Strike. I went out because I didnt! want to work Without a contract. I knew that there was a teaporary agree: ment between the Mine and the P WA, "I was not dissatisfied wi... tus P WA, nor were the mdjority o° the men, I know that the United could not got any better contract than the P MA, and was satisfied with tio F Ma. I was not a strong union man, and Gidn't have any prefere:ce botweern the United and the Progressive, Som: time later an election was heic, ix the wirtcr ‘ime t WAS 3 held in the state arsenal, and although i was working az ao time, Iwert to the clection. I votcd for the PRE because Sn m2jorit:: of the men were for the Progressive, I knew this because of conversation in the various groups, and the feolicvr of the men was for Frozressive. When I had been working at the Kine the biggest feeling was for the ‘rogressives