◆ SpookStack

_ mn a ee er ne re 7 a a lee a Re LLRs ey emeniebie amin enema cial cecil ae ce C O nme: JOHN L, LECIS, ET AL Lb ora 2p ~ was jointly intorviewed by Special Agents and aT: September 3, 1943 at Springfield, Ill, This individual ir old, he not read nor write and has no understanding concerning the matter under incuiry. He executed the following written statement: ‘ "Springfield, Illinois September 3, 1943 make the following voluntary statoment to whom I know to be Special Agents of "I reside ot & x employod. ho Ae irst joined the United Mine F erfinaiter as the UMY about a: Illinois, where I worked in the local mine sbout three years. worked in coal minos continuously and started working in Mine B ncar Springlield about and worked there continuously until that mince closed on lay 12, 1937. ight after Mine B closed down in May, 1937, I went back to a place near the mine to help the Frogressive Vine “orkers of Amcrica pickct, I will refer to this latter union hereinafter as the PMA, I never went back after that time to work i I did not try to go back to work "T worked at Mine B from WE: 1932 as a member of the UMN. I was & digger in this mine. I voluntarily joined PMA in September, 1932 when the rost of the miners at Wine B. joined that union. I did not like the UMM because John L. Lewis did not favor an increase in wages and when we voted, he claimed the ballot boxes were stolen. "I thought the PMA was a good mine union and that it's leaders and the rank and file were satisfied with the PMA union and the way it was being run. JI did not take an active part in the formation of PMA as I could not read or write and just went along with the rest. "Sishoff appeared to get along alright with the UM’ prior to 1932 but did not seem to be on such good terms with PMA from 1932 to 1937. J think he liked UMY better than the PMA, but I never heard why. I knew nothing about the details of the wage scale problem but I just wanted an increase in wages. "J heard in the Spring of 1937 that UM had some organizers in “ine B but they never contacted me. I heard that they contacted other mincre -136-