◆ SpookStack

RE: JOHN L. LEIS, ET AL. bode 67D INTERVIE.. ITH passed along that the cars should be loaded short as a protest against the Co. not firing these men. This was continue the only day this was ever done, The men were called out that afternoon, we were just told to quite. when I got-on top the engineer said we were going on strike as the Co. refused to fire these men. The next day the men started to picket the mine and continued till about the lest of May when the officials said the mine was closed. The picketing was entirely peaceful, they only picketed in the mcerning and ne one went to work. IJ signed 4 P.M.&. on the road by the mine while we were on picket, no one forced me to sign and I don't think anyone ves forced. It was to show the Company how many men the P,M.A. had. I heard of a petition gotten up by the U.li.a. but notofly asked me to sign such petition. I signed a petition in the fall of 1957 for the P.Mia. to send to the X.L.R.B. I signed this of my own free will and no one else was forced to sign as far as I know. "T heard of the forming of a U.M.is. local in Springfield in the sumer of 1937. I don’t recall anything clse of interest prior to the sit-down strike. ‘when the mine cpened in Sept. 1937, I reed of it in the pepers. It was stated the mine would be opened under U.M.. Al] the P.Maas mostly showed up for this. The P,M.A. officials were at the mine and went to see Elshoff, they later told us they had talked to Falsetti and he had said the U.M.7. had a charter there and P.U.A. men could not go down. FaLSETTI to 12 U.M.7. men over to the shaft & lect them down. There was no violence. That afternoon we held a meeting and decided to not let any- one go down in the mine this was held et Sth & \iashington. "l was out at the mine most of the time of the sit-down strike. The other men and I were there of our free will. ‘The men who picketed were all locel 54 men. Everything was very peaceful and no U.M.... men came to the mine during this time. I was at the mine the evening the Marshall came out about 8 o'clock. Most of the men could not understend why this was done when P.M.A4. was majority union end were ready to go to work. ®-hon the Co. tried to open the mince in Dec. 1957, I mew it was to open but don't know how. we just wont to the mine and drove bys "I voted at the first N.L.R.B. election, this was by secrect ballot. ie met at the Hell and (BM alked to us for a short time, Be explained about how the voting would work. I voted "Progressive" and believe this was an honest election. ‘when we went to the Armory to vote there were some men there with pamphlets for U.M.i. but I did not get anys These men were on the streets near the Armory. “Y heard something about an attempt to reopen the mine in Jan. 1938 but I did not go near there then. JI heard thet the reason the mine was not opened as a P.K.&. mine was because Elshoff had an agreenent with » 209 «