◆ SpookStack

| Re; JOHN L. LEWIS, Ef AL. IN TER that the miners were dissatisfied, but I don"t know whether they were loading the cars short (“ontinued) of their own &ecord or because they had been told to do so by the P,ILA. officials. I do Know that the P.M.A. men were objecting to the presence in Mine B of those men I named above and others who were trying to pull for U.M.w. I thank that the miners hoped to forte the mine management to fire these men from the mine, That day I heard that some men had been kicked out of P.M.A, because they were not loyal members, "Qn the day of the strike I think that the men quit working about 2Pu. «as I recall the Pit Committee said that the men were not to work in line B when U.M.W. men were working there. I don't think that the wage scale problem had anything to do with the strike, The miners had confidence in the P.M.A. officials and thought they could get as good a Wage Stale 45 the UMass After I came out of the mine on the day o of the strike, I heard the men saying that they would not work with W.Mi., but I did not hear any conversation about wages, "T recall that + signed a P.M.A. petition in 1937, and I think the petition was to find out how many loyal members the P.¢.A. had at that time. "In the summer of 1937 I read in the papers about the forming of anew U.N. local, but no one approached me about joining it. "J don't remember how, but I recall that I heard that Mine B was going to reopen in the fall of 1937. I went out to the mine, I don '!+ remember the exact dav, and rot ready to work, Then I saw that there Nb Ne dr ee ae Ee 4 Sa hee ed ae was going to be some trouble. The P.N.A. men refused to work with the U.lieiie men who also shoved up for work, IJ was told to stick around the mine which IJ did, JI was in the picket line formed by P.M.4., but TI would hawe preferred to be at home, The purpose of the picket line was to keep the U.M.iu. men from over_throwing the P.H.A. "T think that the federal injmetion was obtained by the mine management to break the strike, and not to protect the mine pro- perty. The P.M.4. men at the mine ad done no damage to the mine ane were really protccting it. I saw only local men in the picket line. "T voted in the 1937 election at the State armry. I voted for Pow. an this election which I think was fair in every respect. JT was FeaheMe All re? oe ee ee re ee Ee ee ee ee not compelled to vote in this election, I voted for P, UA. because I thought that was a better union than U.M.., In the P,M.a. &@ man had a chance to run for office, and a chance for election. In the U.M.u. it seemed that one - 166 -