The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-06-16
TIE CORONADO CASE

THE CORONADO CASE.
Commenting on the decision Of the
United States Supreme court in the case
of the Coronado Coal company against
the United Mine Workers Of America,
which resulted in a>victory Tor the nm
ers union. the UhAd Mine Workers
Journal official organ OF the union, says
editorially in the June 10 issue:
eff a labor union can be sued, as was
decided BY the United States Supreme
court in the Coronado case, then IL can
also sue. IL a labor union can sue, then
there is no good reason why II should
not utilize the law and the courts for the
protection of itself, its members and their
welfare against oppression, damage or
outrage IL the law and the courts az
ford a means by which union-bustlng
employers may harass, torment and OPP
press unions and working people, then
unions and working people should not
hesitate to use the same weapons against
that class OF employers.
1T has long been popular pastiIne
with such employers to rush off TO the
courts and ask for an injunction every
time labor union dared to make it's ap
pearance in their neighborhood. And the
intunctions have been issued. They
have very seriously hampered the unions
IN their efforts to organize the unor-
ganized workers in their particular crafts.
In West Virginia, for instance, inJJunc-
tions have been issued on mine run
basis. Non union operators have not
hesitated to secure an Injunction at every
possible opportunity. II unions would
fight such employers with their own kind
OF fire II would not be long until the in
junction process would be as unpopular
with employers as 1t always has been
and still Is with employees.
Coal operators secure iuJunctions to
prevent strikes. Labor unions could Sc
cure inJunctions 20 prevent lockouts.
Numerous coal companies have sued
the union for heavy damages for things
that happened during strikes Unions
could sue such employers for the things
Without any legal right whatever,
some employers cvict families Of work
iugmen from their homes and set them
and their household goods out upon the
roadside 20 be destroyed by rain and the
weather. Who win sag that damage
suits could not be filed against such en-
pioycrs under SUCH circumstances
Thugs and gunner have been hired
ana armed by employers many. many
times. and they have beaten up, and
even killed men whose only offeuse was
Who win say that such acts cannot be
made the subject o. an Injunction and
81 damage suits.
cit would not require many such suits
against empsQy ers 20 teach them that
iuluuc ioCs and damage suits are unpop-
ulac AMI undesirable.
THE decision or the supreme court IN
the coronado case opens the way for
labor unions 20 90 into the courts for
just such protection Ths IS one OF the
very interesting and important features
he abolished or destroyed. Therefore,
why should labor unions not make use
or II. And whv should they not fight
damage suits with damage suits.
The decision says a labor union may
be sued for damages to property growing
out of a strike. But there are limita-
tons and restrictions to that rule that
take out some OF its teeth. For instance
the decision says that an international
union cannot be held for damages in a
iocal strike that was not called, author
IZed or ratified By the international
Union busting employers have all along
contended that the International was res
ponstble for every act of every member,
and they have been supported in that po-
down. by the Supreme court puts crimp
in that policy. A union can now be held
for those things for which 1t is directly
responsible, but nothing more. If a strike
Is conducted along peaceful lines and
without violence or lawlessness, as all
strikes should be conducted, there will be
no grounds for damage suits. And that
Is, and always has been, the policy Of
the United Mine Workers Of America
The great nationwide strike of 1913
lasted six weeks with ass, 900 men in
volved. and far as could be learned
there was not single instance of vio-
hence anywhere lin the coantry That
was, a remarkable record for such a large
body OF men. But even that record for
peace and order has been outdone in the
present strike. Here, we have perhaps
6500 600 men out, and they have been out
for more than ten weeks. There has |
been no violence or disorder and there
has been no destruction of property that
can be charged against the United Mine
Workers. This splendid record stands /
forth as proof OF the splendid manhood |
and good citizenship of the members of
the United Mine Workers OF America. /
When the appeal i'm. the Coronado case /
was taken to the Supreme court the /
union was required to put up $500, 600 in /
cash in an appeal bond. This sum is re- /
leased by the Supreme court decision and
win revert back to the International +
union.
We urge every member Of the union
10 read the decision carefully. It IS per-
haps. the most important and ar-reach-
Ing court decision ever rendered in a la
Dor case by a court I'm this country and
every member OF organized labor should /
iamiliarize himself with it,"