◆ SpookStack

a Re; JOJN L, LE IS, ET iL bre bap INTERVIE” WITH none of the leaders of P.M.A. ever attempted to compel the members to do anything. Another reason I liked the P.M.A. continued better than tho U.i.%. was that the P.M.A. did not fine the membors for failing to attend meetings, but the U.M.W. ~ @id fine tho mombcrs 50¢ for each moeting missed. I don't recall that there wore any extra assessments by the F.K.A. during this time. I don't remember sf any U.M.., mon tried to persuade me to join the U.M... during this time, and I don't romember if I rececivee any literaturo from the U.M.W. "In the oarly pert of 1937 whon it came time for P.M.A, to got a mew contract with Minc_B, the miners in P.N.A. felt tmt their union would get as good a wage scale as the U.M.i. could get, After the P.M.A. obtained o& temporary agreoment with Flshoff, the P.u.A. leaders told us that they had obtained a temporary asreement and that Elshoff had agreed to pay the back pay of the F.M.A,. minors when the permanent contract was eigned, "T recal thet in 1937 bofore the strike-in ay, men known to mo as Andy Schrclevyious, Dominic Pasquale, anc Joc*wer to get members for the U.N. 0, They wero ro telling all the miners in Mine B that they should not york for PMA. until thot union got a contract with Mine B. They also said thot if they turnec over to U.M.-., U.M.JY. could got a contract with Nine B right aveay. I don't recall that the management made any comment at this time which would incicate thct they preferrec the U.M.7, I don't recall that the F.M.A. officials save ony expicnation for thoir getting only «& temporary contract with ine B. "Rsfore the strike on May 12, 1937, I heard from woight checker for F.M.4. at Kine B, that there was to be a special mee of P.M.A. on the night of Moy 11, 1957, JI did not go to the meoting, and I don't know if all the members of P.M... wero invited to this meeting. I don't know why the meeting was called or what was discussed at the meeting, "Then I went to work on the morning of May 12, 1957, I first learned of the strike. Wo one told me that I could not go into the mine, but I went t> the wash house to get my clothes ond toole. JI recall tmt 1 stayed on the road neor the mine that day enc did not-go into the mine to work. I @on't remomber if anything was said about wages at this time, but I do remember thet evcryonc was scying that the strike would be settled in a fow days. I don't recall hesring anything about why the strike was called, “Prior to the strike I knew ot weight checker, had claimed that the scales at Mine B were not ve ccurately, and thet he intended to coll the Stzte Scale committee to check the ecales at Mine i B. I don't know if the scales were checked. : ~ 330