◆ SpookStack

- 1. LEWIS, Ef al bre | bo 1D ; Springfield, Illinois, eptember 2, 1943, by Special at #& speaks Inglish very well and is able to understand and answer questions asked of him. He expressed nig willingness to testify in court if necessary. admitted that he has been arrested several times fur drunkenness, but dem ed any other criminal record. The following signed statement was obtained fron “oringfield, Ill. September 2, 1943 ake the following voluntary statement to ; Bo . Whom I know to be tre, will, Agons "I presently 1 A cass Springfield, Illinois. I was bort. es : 7 I am not employed at the prese LIne 3 me union, the United Mince Workers, when andloyed at “ine B. I remained a nember of that mion until 1932, when I joined the Progressive Mine workers, JI took no part in the organization of the P.M.A., but joined it when the rcst of the men at Mine B did, as I re- momber it, the P,IL.,. was organized by the men in 1932, because of certain ballots supposed to have been stolen. Lewis hac tried to sign a contract with the mine operators, making the miners _ take a reduction in pay. The mincrs voted on the question, but before the vote could be counted, the ballots had disappeared. Lewis signed a contract with the mine operators at a lower wage, thus forcing the men to go back to work at a lower wage scale. The locals of U.H.w., because of this, stayed away from the U.N, and swung over to P.U..u,. Wien that union was organizcd, JI was dissatisfied with the U.MAi. even before this time, because I didn't think the U.4.:. was doing all it could for the men, "T was entirely satisfied with the P.Ia,. and with the way the way the P.lua, was run by its officers. The P.M.a. always made the opcrators of ine B live up to the terms of thcir con- tract, and always treated the men squarely. JI don't remember of trouble betwcen the minc management and the P.Mva, between 1932 and the strike in 1937. The only thing I can remember about cempany favoring of any va union was one time when J was talking to the superintendent, - Bere Falcetti, ae me to join the U,Mif. He said he could get bettcr conditions vubof the U.M.. than out of P.Wha., that the ~23~ oe et ae eg Sr I ea ee SW Wet ert er et tm tem tre ee