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YrToRVIFe WITH "The first time this entiro matter wos discussed by PMA arta was the nicht wo found out that tho Mine "A" had boen continue sold, and this was on the same night as the regular PHA meeting. A special FMA mceting was thon held at PMA hall to hoar the Pit Committec!s report, and J was present, The committoe roported only onc or two men working at Mine "A", At this meeting oa committce of six was electcd to sco Elshoff but they could not reach him by tolephone anc anothor committee of six wes eloctcd to see Falcetti, about three or four of this committce being the samc as the first committee. I was present when we tried to lecate Elshoff and couldn't, and we wen ack to the meeting and reported we couldn't locate Elshoff, Wo had intended to discuss the intentions of his to open the mine and how he was going to operate it, The next morning the caomiittce, only five going, went to inc "EB" to sce Palectti, and we went to osk hin whet they vere going to do about operating Minc MA", Falcetti scid there were only two choices, that if the men cidn!t zo back to Minc "A", they sould have to pull the coal thru Minc "B", "T hac been rcafting 'The Frograssive Minor', the PMA paper, and he¢ read about a situation in Kentucky where the National Labor Relations Foar¢e handed down a decision that if 2 company is operating e mince under a eccrtsin unicn and thst company purchescs other mincs, those other mines also hod to be operated under that certi.in union. I believed that decision wos binding in our case, anc so I thought that the only two choices for us was cithor to join UM to operate Vine "A" or Mine “A" would be operated thru inc “B", “Our cormitto. then rcportec bask to PlA at a PIA meeting. Fe wore then instructcd by PA to sec Ecmundson to sce what the chances wore for us to go over to Tis, Te saw Edmundson, and ip answer to a direct question from me, he ssid we could come into UMT as /#itononsus group and not have to poy initiation fscs. I belioved thcrs would be no trouble to change to UM, "Ut the last mooting held in PMA hall, SE cquceted ne to make an announcement that thers would be ao special meeting at Redmants Fall the folloving Fridey. It was at this meeting that the committce had reported what Edmundson had said, "It was thon moved that a spocial meeting be held the following Sunday at the Elk's Club to decide on our course. At that meeting tho committec repertcd on all things which had happenod for tho bencfit of those mon who had not been at the other mootings when the compmittco had reported, There were 200 men at that mecting, A motion was mado for these men to join UW and it was adoptcd with one dissenting vote, Wo one talked at tmt meeting, excent the committec, until cftcr the voting to go to UMW had taken place - and until aftcr the clection of officers anc committcemen. ~ 42] «