The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-23
Mine STRIKERS
IN BIG MEETING
$50 Dele G ties Form
Executive Committee

Continued from Page One)
ganized fields of western Pennsyl-
vania.
Minerich announced that he, too
was a "non-union," miner, having
read that morning that he was one
of several leaders of the Save the
Union movement expelled from the
United Mine Workers Union by John
L. Lewis. Minerich pointed out that
while Lewis was busily engaged in re-
voking charters and expelling men,
bers frS.n the union the Save the
Union Committee was organizing the
non-union miners and strengthening
the coal diggers' army to carry on
the strike to a successful conclusion
An executive committee of twenty
which included at least one member
from each sub-district in the county
was elected and went into session i'm
mediately following the conferences
adjournment.
John Watt, national vice-chairman
of the Save the Union Committee
who arrived here from Springfield,
Illinois. two days ago, reported that
the overwhelming majority of Him
OILS miners are solidly behind the
Save the Union Committee.
"They know that the union is fac
ing grave danger" Watt declared.
"They know that if miners in Penn
sylvania and Ohio lose, the union is
lost. Union officials tell the miners
in Illinois that the strike around here
is lost, that Illinois must go back to
work. But as soon as the officials
sign up mine the rank and file I'M
der the Save the Union Committee
leadership pickets it in great num-
bers until it is forced to close down"
When delegates raised the question
of the possibility of another betrayal
similar to that of 1922, Watt replied,
"We are putting our organization on
such basis that Lewis will not be
able to betray it. Remember there is
sharp distinction between the United
Mine Workers of America and the
administration. In every state where
there are miners, district and subdis-
trict conferences are being called to
take the union out of the hands of
the Lewis administration and to place
it into those of rank and file mem
bers.
S. C. Nelson, a Negro miner from
Kiskiminetas valley, charged that the
union is making scabs of Negroes by
barring them from union controlled
mines.
"But the Negro miner is walking
out of mine together with his white
brother at the call of the rank and
file" he said. "Only two mines in
Kiski valley are still working but
they won't be in a few days." he
promised.
A delegation of thirty children
asked Chairman Minerich to permit
them to stay because we are now
in the fight too. They fired our
ianitor, George Previc, because he put
up sign asking miners to strike
April 10th and we're going on strike
until he comes back to school," they
declared. We've got picket captains
elected and we will picket that school
and not let anybody scab on u.s." they
promised.
Minerich ruled that boys might stay
as fraternal delegates, "since you are
strikers too" ~
Mother Ella Reeve Bloor, honorary
member Of the United Mine Workers
pointed out that the success of the
strike means happier life, better
working conditions for young people
preparing for the struggle. "Give
them headstart," she pleaded.
A series of subdistrict conferences
to knit together strike commit
tees from each mine into centralized
organization, and mass meetings
throughout the county were planned.