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RE: JOHN L, LE.IS, ET AL ey) a b ID INTSRVIE : WITH P| "Prior to 1932, Elshoff had some difficulties (contimed) with the employees at Mince By and he dis- _ _ charged the following nen; enemas ere mg Ss and about three others. Elshoff claime zs these nen were creating dissention, ‘These men were all member of the UM. At this tine, Flshoff did not belong to the Opereters Association. The Ukv arbitrated the case with Elshoff and he had his way. These men did not re- turn to work. This wes prior to any thought of organizing another union, namcly, the Pan. due relations between “lshoff and the Pili from 1932 to april 1937 vers good as far as I know. "about @ month before the mine closed dowm on May 12, 1937 there wore a mumber of men in Mino 6 who began organizing for UlSi. These men were Androw Schreievious, Dominic Pasquale, Pete Carter, Frank sustin, Tony Ploteh, John Ananias, also known as John Cotton, John Sirtout, George Jacaway, Emory Jacawazy, Charlcs Yohannon, James Hale, JI heard that these men were contacting Pl& members to get them ty join the UM. I'm rcfcrrinzg nm to the Period before the mine went on strike in May, 1937. Both James Hale and Tony Ploteh t*lked to we favoring the UMT and wanted me to join the UIT as it was ¢ larger orgsmization. J did not sirn up with UMY because I felt that hese men wore being paid by °°! for their organizing work, Hrlc and Flotch hinted two or three times that it would be better if I goined the UM, "About a week before the mine closed, Pete Carter was seen by me passin, out Ui cards out on top of Mine B, close to the office. The day before the mine closed, the FtiA expelled Pete Carter and some other. from that union for organizing for UM;, I did not attend this PMA meeting held on May 11, 13937 but heard about it the next day at the mine. On Hay 12, 1937 Els- hoff refused to discharge these men that lad been expelied from the PMA. On this day, I was doing comnam: work due to a cave in. Th fternoon the men were cailed out of the mine as Elshoff would not talk 1.4% who was a PMA Board member, I did not know about loading coal cars short until I came out. However, this was not due tu the wage scale question. "After May 12, 1937 I stayed out of this mine until December 1939. I did not attempt to go to work before that. I am not familiar with the wage scale problems or the retroactive feature of the apreement between Elshoff and the PHA. I do not recall the Piva officials informing me about the de- tails of this agreement, "I voluntarily simed the PMA petition of Mayr 26, 1937 to show I was a FuA member. I did not sim any other petition. "I believe that the NLRB election on December 15, 1937 was fair. JI did not see any strong arm tactics on the part of members of the PMA or the UM. I received notice of the election through the newspapers, and I went to the Arsenal and voted and no one tried to influence me. -141- me me te Man TS TE erm i ee ee