◆ SpookStack

- - . ae _ ie he faa 4 erviewed on August 25, 1943 This person apparently 1 @ a foo witness. He is of average lligence and is definitc in his remarks. He is wil ing to testify on behalf of the government. The following signed statement was taken from him: hugust 25, 1943 11, " 2 pakc the following voluntary statemint to igs whom I know to be Special Agents of the I am an American resently em fyy first membership in unton mines was in when I Joins the Unitec Mine Workers of America refered to here er as, the U. NM. W. I joined at Springfield, Ill. and went tc work in n ine "BR" near @ wet 6 ft at ‘a Springrield, ft remained a menb-r of UMi until & Supt. 1932 working at Hine "Bt, At this time about Sent. 6, 1932 I joined the Provzressive Mine Workers of America hereinafter referred to as P, K. W. This was local #54 and I remain a member of P. M. W. until about March 14, 1941 when Elshaff signed a closed shop contract with U. WM. W, e "The relations b.tween U iis and Elshaff at Mine *B" prior to Sept. 1932 were satisfactory and they worked on a contract.. There were no strikes, lockouts , er slovdoms. The only difficulty was mercly set- Vidual miners di fficulties nent individual min difficulties, ‘l "As to the formation of P Li ‘¥ local at Nine "B". J feel that at the miners wanted to join the P Ww to get avay from John L. Lewis becaus he favered the decrease in the wage geale in 1932, he clained the ballots. were stol: an, and Would not permit the miners to have a revolt and signed a contract with the opcrators association. The only part I took was to attend mectings at the formation & votec for P HW, "Relative to relations betweocn Elshaff & local 54, P, FE, W. be- tyeen Sept. 1932 and April, 1937. 7 -onld state the relations were satis- factory up to about Jan, 1937. However, from Jan. 1937 to about April, 1937 there was petty dissatisfaction as some miners wanted to join the UW. There were no strikos, the managenent did not try to discredit, the P, WH. W. or persuade them to join U UW. -