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a . vee Me a a a Tm Res JOHN L, LEWIS, ET AL INTERVIEW FITU operator took over ao mine, that he did not have to hire nme ck. I think that is the big factor, because ——— the mon wanted to work and get their jobs vory padly. At the sacond meeti t District Officers wero ablo to rive very little assurance of any help. gaat ca to the local that night. His talk was very ¢ciscournging to the men, and he was not ablc.to assure us of much help, except moral and financi- ol help to those who lost out on their jobs. As I recall, theso District officers had becn unable to get ahold of Elshoff and learn anything about his plans, The night of the second mecting, another committee was appointed, t> got in touch with Elshoff and sce what was going to be done with Hine A. I wags not on that committece. I left that mocting, and did not hear of any fizhts or disazrecments that were hac at that neeting. "I understand that there was another mectinz, held some time later at Rodman's hall. {I was not at this meeting, and did not know anything about it until afterwards. "There was a mcetinc st cither the Elks's or the K of C hall. I wes at that meeting. presidod, put the committee mado a report. The committec report was mace by a: that they had gone to the mince, and coulc no then they went to see Edmunson. Re said Edmunson hed said that vine B had a contract with OM, anc that if the men went as a body, as charter membors into the Ui, that he woul¢e uso his influence to got tho mine reopened. "They then hele a voto, and the men voted to go back to the Ui, They voted to go back to the TMM. I think that the main factor in the ~ men voting to go to the UMN was that they wantcd to go back to work. They would have been just os well satisfied to stay in the Progressive Mine Torkers as 2c into the UL if thoy could koop thoir jobs. They seemed to think that they had ts jin the U4i, because of their undorstinding of the law, und they could not afford to go through any sort of trouble, becouse the mine had been closed down too long. 7 ~ oo mR: og tk , See "The elected officers that nipnt, anc "The men had voted to 22 back to the UM providec tho mine would be reopence, anc provided their would be no discrimination After voting # . me | re