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sO : ee Me . : ~ tte 0% _ _ + - : - . f i ad Re: JOHN. L. LEWIS, ET aL esc, &@ tO INTERVIE.. ¥: the members of local 54 began pciketing to protect our jobs because it had been announced that the mine contini would open under UM contract. There was no violence except that about ten of us told the engineer that . we would start the pumps inasmuch:as they tried to shut-off on us. The picketing continued until December when Carl Elshoff pot an injunction out to keep us from picketing. dust after the picketing stopped the mine tried to open ag2in and they brought 10 or 15 car loads of men from Taylor- ville’ in to open the mine. No violence occurred at this time. "The mine at .empted to open several times after that but they could only get a few men to work. "In November 1939, I re¢eived a registered ietter that the mine 1) would open under a more or less open shop - that is the PHW_ had bargain- l ing rights but could get nocontract. At this time I was present of Local ah 34 and sat in on conferences at which we tried to nzgotinte a contract | al! ae but Elshoff refused to grant a closed shop or check-off system so no ha contract was ever signed. We worked under this agreencnt for some time 4 lr and the Fifty had a lot of death claims amounting to about $20,000 and { 7 T went to the Pll; officials to get those paid but they snid they were 2 not financially able to do so. The UL"A then used this as a “club™ over the miners heads because they offersd to and did pay some of the cliims. In this way they rained membership. election held in 1941 other than that the ULI won it. "at the time the mine reopened ther2 were some pretty big caveins but the mine was in fair condition because they began hoisting coal the next day after it opened. "I do not now belong to any wnion and htve no mcference for either Pil or Uiits. ra Witnessed: -- =385- , Fe ee Hee ge a