◆ SpookStack

C Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL INTERVIEW WITH work, and that he was willing to go over to the UMVY and not heve all the trouble {GCOncinued } and bother tihit the men had had at Mine B with Elshoff there. Finally we took a vote to po to the UM. Edmunson came over to the meeting and talked then. He seid some things about forgetting all the trouble thet had been hed between the Progressives ond the United Mine jiorkers, sand coming back together. He said thet if we signed up a majority of the men that he would ses te it thet Mine A wns reopened. I signed up thet night. I signed up because I wanted to go back toworke I did not care much about which union I be- longed to, as long as I could work, but I wos satisfied witht he Progres- sives before. I quit the mine because the places were running out and I gid not think that I would be cble to make so much money there, After the UM took over the mine there was not as much freedom as before. They would not let you talk. I went to some of the UMY meetings. They did not let you talk as much sbout things in the local as in the Progressives. Under the PIST7 we elmost ren the local ourselves, but in the UMW they had every=- thing fixed and would not let us make our own nominntions, otc. "T know who es : ; . He is a board member, or was, of the UMW. He wos nroun® the mine for a while after it opencd. The told us that if we had any problems or compiaints to take it up with tho Board member. "I got two lettors abcut the change in ownership of Mine A.» One was from Ryan, and the other wes o mimeographed letter signed by the name of ‘The Committcet. It did not scy that it wos fromthe UM? and did not say thet we would hoe to change unions at 811. It had some complaints in it sbout the Progressive officials, and hoy men hed lost their jobs when other mines hed beon sold. It did not mention the UMW. It just invited us to come to a mecting. I do not remember getting any other letters. "IT have read the above stetemont on this pege and two other pozes. It 4s 21] true ond occurtte. /:/ a / A... :.. :. —~F 8 mr. Be I." A = 562 - .: