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cee a a i ann ln, Cc . Qa Re: JOHN L. LEIS, ET iL be 671p INTERVIE. «ITH mine would remain shut dotm. They also said that if the U.M... got a contract with Iino B, there would be better working conditions in Ifinc.B. I did not sign ee eee 44-2 ~—- 4 #43 VHA PUVLULON, and the nen did nov threaten Me “Nobody asked mo to join the new local of U.'.7. whan it was started in tho sumcr of 1937. at this timc I favored the P.H..i., and would not have joinod the U..7. if I had bocn asked. However, I do reeall thet some time in 1937, hon and anothcr man whose nanc I don't remomber were a ousc, [on » Andy Schrelevious, and came to my housc. Thoy told ma that if I vantcd to work, Sign up vith the UL. They said that tho mince would not _Peopan sae oe “toh U mY oe ee eam wee 55 the Presel Si gnca Mp ted wd else. te I MAU JIU sign up Wath PET . Ld at that tine wis not cmployed in Hinc B, bt w:s an U.iL”. or can! o had buen brought into Springeficld to organize ths non for 0.10. "In Septenbor 1937 I received a notice from iHnc B that the nine was going to reopen. .it this time I did not know of the attitude of P.i.,A. about the ninc boing opened under U.7.."., or as an open shop. "I don't know when the picketing started in 1937, but I rencmber + tired nm neat, 44 tr wont ta the wickot Tins on my own annared Cal aieal ot Yor! ve re. waa Ae eT a a + ee dei I saw only loc2l men there and there wero no strangers. To ny knowledge the purpose of the picket was to kcop out U.ii.. mon. "ZI don't rveall roeeiving any notiec of the desire of tha mnage- ment to roopen the mine in Deeenber 1937. Hovover, I reccived a notice from the National Labor Relations Board and from the U.iuies, about tho election in tiat month. I sont to the elcetion voluntsrily, and voted for the P.tL4. in tho Stato armory, Sprincficld, Tl. Nobody told no how to vote at this cloction. I reecived ny ballot from 2 government official at the clection place, and votcd for P.tlae the mino in 1939 andy Schrclcvious and aman fron St. Louis knowm a a cam: to my house and asked ne to join the U.iLT. Thoy told me mine would open as goon as the U.I.7. secured a majority of the niners. ay: not vorked in the mine prior to the strike, and I think thst ho wis brought here by the U.H.". to organize for U.iL.., "Prior to the oe ae "I reeeived a notice fron itine B that the mine was going to open in Novenbor 1939. I ts told that beeausc the rom in which I h.¢ worked had caved in, ther. w.s n> work for mc at that tinc, but thot I would be notified when there was a room for m, Later I reecivod a notice from the mine and started to work apnrin at “ine B. There had becn some cave-ins at the ninc, but I don't know how much it would hive cost to open tho mine. - 445 -