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The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Militant Miners
Convicted for
Strike Activity
Two Face Jail Terms,
One Has Family Of
10 to Support

PITTSBURGH, Pa. II Jack Stu
art, organizer of the National Min
ers Union, and Frank Hunts, active
member of the union, and a father
of eight children, were found guilty
and convicted in Washington Coun-
ty Court on malicious mischief
charges. The sentence has not been
pronounced pending a motion for
new trial demanded by the Inter
national Labor Defense and the
National Miners Union.
Stuart and Hunts were convict
ed because of their participation in
the April strike of the Ayella min
ers. The miners were striking under
the leadership of the United Front
Committee. Mr.. Pagan, district
president of the UNI. WA, did ev-
erything possible to break the
strike, but without success. After
one month of struggle, Pagan,
Sheriff Seaman and the leaders of
the American Legion, at a secret
meeting, decided to break the strike
at all costs. About 70 members of
the U.M.W.A., selected by Fagan,
were deputized by Sheriff Seaman,
armed, made drunk and sent to raid
the miners homes. Sheriff Seaman
led the raids. AS a result some of
the miners were driven back to
work.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
BY JACK TOMBSTONE

Every vicious feature of company
control over the miners is being
strengthened in the coal code now
being worked out in secret sessions
by Lewis with the coal operators and
the government. The company town
company stores, the right to pay in
scrip, deduction of doctor fees, insur-
ance, etc. The blacklist, discharge
discrimination against the Negro, nc
payment for dead work, slate, yard
age, etc. No relief or unemployed
insurance.
Lewis's pretended fight for the $500
per day; for the six-hour day, and
the coal operators own proposal for
the $500 per day has been traded for
the $3.50, $4.34, 1920 and the eight
hour day. The right to strike and to
picket has been traded for arbitra-
ton, Lewis sells the miners to the
coal operators on their conditions
for the check-off without the aid
of the government and the coal oper-
ators Lewis knows that the miners
would kick him and the rest of his
counterfeit labor leaders out of the
UM.W.A.
The strange hold that the coal
operators have on the UMWA is
the check-off and the Lewis leader
ship which insures a continuation
of the cringing, belly-crawling policy
to the coal operators on the one
hand, and on the other, the brutal
smuggling of the mines who refuse
to accept this policy as he is now
doing to the miners striking under
the leadership of the N. M. U. in
Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
As he is doing to the opposition in
the UMWA and to the miners strik-
ing under the leadership of the
P. M. A. in Illinois. AS he will do
to the miners in Western Pennsyl-
vania when peaceful" persuasion
will no longer keep the miners at
work. The miners must strike
against the Lewis slave code. Lewis
and company must be eliminated
from the U. M. w. A, by mass re-
fusal to accept him. Defeat the
Not one word is being said about
unemployment in the coal industry
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Company Towns Get
Boost by Coal Code
Miners Must Strike Against Slave Code"
Says Communist Leader in Pittsburgh

except to create the illusion trat
the Roosevelt New Deal through
the NRA will find work and paos-
perity for all.
Why Unemployment?
But what are the conditions In
the coal Industry In 1918 bitu-
minous coal supplied 72.7 per cent
of the total heat values produced.
Through the use of other fuels, Pc
troleum, gas, hydro electric, this
has been reduced to 44.S per cent
in 1882. Along with this develop
ment the yearly working time Of
ire miners has been cut from an
average of 213 days during the 80
year period ending 1921. From
1921 to 1880 this average was cut
to 189 working days. In 1881 it
was $50 and in 1882 it was las.
This does not mean that every coal
miner is included in this average.
In 1923 there were employed 704,-
1893. In 1882 there were 346,o56
miners employed.
This means more than 100000
miners are no longer considered in
the industry. Lewis says that they
must find employment somewhere
else. This is his solution. But
where? there are too many steel
workers, too many auto workers,
too many workers in every indus
try, too many farmers.
The thing in a nut shell is that
capitalism has developed a system
of production so highly efficient
it comes into violent conflict with
the distribution of the wealth pro-
duced. While production is So
cial act, the wealth produced be-
longs to the owning class who only
give what they are forced to give
to the working class. The miner
gets from zoe to soc a ton. The
consumer pays from 81 to Sc. The
farmer get low prices; the consumer
pays high prices. Between these
two points in every commodity pro-
duced is expressed lies the slavery
of the working class, the starvation
and misery of the miners. This
exploitation which has created
enormous accumulation of wealth
that has made the American cap
italist class the richest, most pow
erful and arrogant in the world.
Unemployment insurance is one
of the most important immediate
demands of the miners, both en-
ployed and unemployed. The coal
industry owes the miners a living.
The miners can only win thru con-
tinous struggle. The six-hour five
day week and unemployed insure
ance at the expense of the coal in
dustry and the government are in
separable demands.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
MIRA, Coal Operators, and Lewis Machine
Unable to Rob Miners of Strike Weapon

At the special mining conference in
Cleveland, Ohio, August 81, a pro-
gram for united action of the coal
miners was adopted. This program is
important, especially now when the
coal operators, using the labor section
of the N. r. A., are planning the
establishment of company unions
similar to those of the auto industry.
The United Action program follows:
This special mining conference of
the General Trade Union Conference
for United Action Against the N. R.
A.. representing the NJ M u, locals
of the P. M. A., and rank and file
opposition groups of the U. M. w. A.,
sets forth before itself the task of
carrying into effect the decisions of
the General Conference for United
Action Against the N. r. A.
With the starvation, low wages,
mass unemployment and miserable
working conditions in the mines, and
subjected to the most brutal terror,
the miners throughout the country
are again taking to the struggle to
defeat these conditions with more de-
termination than ever before.
Miners Preparing Strike
In recent weeks strikes of $4,000
miners in western and central Penn
sylvania, 10000 in the anthracite,
$4,000 in Illinois, strikes in Utah,
Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana and else
where have taken place. 1t is definite
that thousands Of miners in all coal
fields are preparing to strike and that
the near future will see tremendous
increase in the strike struggles of the
miners.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09

notices, announced the purpose of
The meetings. When we gathered
IN front Of the hall we could not
get IN as Sokol had the keys. The
committee went to get the key from
Sokol but instead received pick
handle and a threat of being shot
if they didn't leave the house at
once.
AS the men were waiting in front
of the hall Bozo Denich came and
beean TO raise hell with the miners
for loading "dirty coal" Bozo was
chased away and few minutes later
three coal and iron policemen of
the Ellsworth mine came and tried
to force the men to go home. Being
unable TO do this they went to
Sokol's home and guarded him until
all men went home,
At the next regular meeting we
elected another checkweighman.
In the morning Sokol was going on
the tipple despite the decision of
the members. The Mine Commit
tee informed the super that if
Sokol goes on the tipple the men
would strike. The super, whose
pst Sokol is, stated that the new
checkweighman was not elected
legally and he can not permit him
to go on the tipple. Rather than
have Sokol weighing the coal one
more day the men agreed that the
company boss shall weigh the coal
that day himself.
This example in our local should
convince every miner how the U. M.
w. A. is being controlled by the op-
orators and takers. If we want to
have union controlled by the min
ers we must accept the proposals of
the National Miners Union and GUST
every faker from our ranks and
have the union to serve our purpose
and not the purpose Of the coal OPP
.erators and Demich, Sokol and their
associstes.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Little Attention
Given by N.M.U.
to Young Miners
Youth Conference Will
Be Held on Sept. "a
in w. Pennsylvania

Young miners played an out
standing part in the historic strug-
gle of 10000 miners in Western
Pennsylvania. With few exceptions
the 1900 or more young miners,
participating in the strike swal-
lowed the bait, hook, line and sink
er, of the United Mine Workers
leadership, and were banked upon
by the coal operators union Off
Gals to betray the strike. The
young miners wanted to fight
against their worsening conditions,
against the discrimination held out
against them in the MIRA coal OPP
orators code, which calls for lower
wages for spraggers, oilers, greas-
ers, etc. But their little knowledge
and lack of experience with Lewis
and the UNIV. led them into sup
porting this crew Of pirates parad-
ing under union gu1se.
The little activity the National
Miners Union has conducted among
the native born miners, particularly
among the young miners, has led to
a separation of our union from this
mass of miners and left them easy
pickings for the Lewises and Fa-
gans. To deliver the youth bound
hand and foot to the coal operators,
the UNI, w. leadership used many
choice methods.
The young miners back in the
mines are full of fight. There is
every indication that the code that
will be finally adopted in Washing
ton with Lewis endorsement will
have the same discriminatory sec
ton against the young miners. At
this moment the N.M.U. is broad
casting leaflets and agitation
among the mining youth about the
true color of Lewis, Pagan, Feeney
and companN A Mining Youth Con-
ference will be held in Western
Pennsylvania on September "a,
where a broad program of work
among the mining youth will be
hammered out by young miners.
This conference will have the
task of building a leadership of
young miners in the National Min
ers Union, to be specifically in
charge of developing youth forms of
work in the union and of winning
the mine youth for the N.M.U.
The main pivoting point of sup
port of the young miners for the
NM.U. will be the demand of no
discrimination against the youth,
guaranteeing the same basic rate
for them as the adults regardless of
the type of work. 1t is this demand
which will create a wedge inside
of the UNI. w. locals.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Joint Struggles Of Employed and Unemployed
Aids Campaign for Jobless Insurance

no-strike proposal and arbitration.
The codes supported by Lewis and
Pearcy and the coal operators do not
represent the interest of the rank ano
file coal miners. The coal miners
divided and engaged in disconnected
movement, have been unable to &C
tually present code expressing their
demands. Only the code presented by
the N. M. U. in Washington in any
way approaches the real desire of the
miners.
The following are the demands nj
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09

The miners are feeling the effects
of the N. r. A. and the strikes are
now taking place in spite of the
efforts Of the Roosevelt Administra-
ton and the Lewis machine of the
UM.W.A., who attempt to stop all
strikes and rob the miners of their
most important weapon in their de-
tense.
Although the miners In Pennsyl-
vania were tricked back to the mines
by the N. r. A. and the Lewis ma
chine, strikes are now breaking out
anew in defiance Of the government
decree outlawing strikes.
In these struggles the unemployed
give real support. They also lead
great fights of their own against
relief cuts, for more relief and I'M
employment insurance. In the an
thracite, for instance, the unemployed
Initiated and led the strike movement
which involved 1900 miners.
These struggles also reveal the
strong women movement in actual
economic struggles. Thousands of
women are now organizing in Illinois
and Pennsylvania. Thousands more
will be organized.
The young coal miners are also
taking an active part In the strikes.
Unhampered by the traditional oppo-
sition towards women and the youth,
as practiced by the conservative
movement for years, the rank and
file miners are recruiting additional
forces, who form powerful front
against their common enemies. An
other significant development in the
various mining strikes is the unity
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Rank and File Fire
Checkweighman of
.U.M. WA. Machine
Agree ON 36 Cents Ton
While Other Mines
Get 40 Cents
CBy a Worker Correspondent)

81 PITTSBURGH, Pa. = A few
months ago the Ontario mine signed
temporary agreement with the
{ UMWA without US miners knowing
anything about 1t. Our agreement
calls for 36c a ton while the min
ers in other mines receive 40c a ton.
Bozo Demich, who signed the agree
ment, got US also a checkweighman.
His right-hand man, John Sokol,
was elected checkweighman and also
president of the local. The first
thing they decided to do was to fire
four active members of the NMU.
After they were fired the whole
local union put up a fight and
forced the Unemployment of these
4snembers of the .NMU which pre-
vented the firing of others and gave
Mr.. Demich and Sokol signal that
they can not be bosses in the local.
The weights on the scale were so
bad that we decided to elect new
checkweighman. However Sokol
refused to surrender his soft job
on the grounds that three days no.
tice was necessary to elect another
checkweighman. Then we posted
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
BY r BoRICH

2 Fresh strike struggles are loom
Ing in the Pennsylvania coal fields.
The Montour No. 10 miners are
striking for the fifth time since the
betrayal of the strike one month
ago. The Vesta 8, Clyde 1, 2 and 8,
Mather and other miners have
struck. Strike is a common topic in
the daily discussions of the miners.
This in spite of strenuous efforts
of all the instruments of the en-
ployers to discourage the strike
movement.
Promises Not Carried Out
On August 5, when Roosevelt
made his strikebreaking appeal to
the miners, he promised that with
in three days all of their grievances
will be satisfactorily settled. He re-
ferred to the coal code hearings.
The coal operators, under the pres
sure of the strike movement, prom
Used SIS basic wage scale, a 80
hour working week first six months,
and 36 hours per week for the next
six months. J. L. Lewis promised a
6-hour day 5-day week, and the
recognition of the UMWA with a
national agreement. The mediators,
McGrady, DR.. Springer and others,
gave the miners Roosevelt's word
of honor that the best conditions
ever enjoyed by the miners will be
established. Judges, lawyers and
other liberals promised abolition of
company towns and establishment
of full civil rights in these towns. A
real emancipation of the miners was
to come as soon as they go back to
work.
One month has gone by since
these promises were made. But none
of these promises were carried out.
The coal code hearings ended in
fiasco. The coal operators withdrew
the SIS basic wage scale and offer to
pay $3.50 in the Pittsburgh Dis
trict, $4.34 in Fairmont and 1920
in the southern districts. They also
withdrew the proposal for 80 and
S6-hour week and now insist on an
8-hour day. Lewis withdrew his de-
mand for 5-day week and 6-hour
day and accepted a lower wage
scale. For this he was promised the
check-off, providing he and the
NRA administration could guaran-
tee to the employers that there will
be no more strikes. The government
agreed to outlaw all strikes and
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09

Pagan and others told us that every
thing will be all right when they go
to Washington, D. C. to the coal
code hearings. They said that we'll
get everything that's coming to us.
Well, the hearings were held, but not
one word was said on our behalf,
neither by Mr.. Lewis nor Mr.. Pagan.
1t is a known fact that we Negroes
get the worst jobs in the mines. Very
few of us can get job running
motor, laying track or setting tim
bers. / am working Is years in the
mines and never saw Negro cut
ter. The only thing we can get is
loading coal. And even here we get
places with thick slate and deep
water. Not only this. The bosses
are segregating us Elm separate sec
tons, usually worst section in the
mine. They also segregate us on
night shift. We do not get as many
cars as the white miners. In most
OF the patches We are being segre-
gated in the worst shacks, which are
usually called Niger Patch"
Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Pagan know all
OF these things. Yet they did not
say one single word in Washington
nor anywhere else raising their voice
of protest against these conditionns
of ours. Just take notice of this.
Is there any Negro on the Inter
national Board of the UMWA2 Not
one! Is there any Negro on any of
the District Committees of the
UMWA2 Well, do not know of
any! Or, did Mr.. Lewis invite one
Negro miner to Washington to voice
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
us. Steel in Gary
Stocking Up Coal
With Aid of Lewis
(By a Worker Correspondent

GARY, Ind.-IU has been learned
that the U. S. Steel Corp. in Gary
has ordered and is having delivered
by rail (not by boat, for saving pur-
poses) 10000 tons of special coal used
in the blast furnaces, for storage pur-
poses. This huge amount of coal Is
an unprecedented amount, and the
only other time the company put in
any such supply was before the last
large coal strike in 1921, think it
was.
This appears to be result of col
laboration between the "sell-out,"
John L. Lewis, and the bosses of such
large corporations as U. S. Steel. He,
no doubt, has planned or knows of
plans for a nationwide coal strike in
the near future and has tipped his
friends, "the bosses" off so they can
be prepared to break the strike by
having supplies on hand enough to
last year or so. They will thus not
be embarrassed by lack of coal for
continued distribution, if any, in
spite of long coal strike. Such
snakes in the guise of labor leaders!
Editors Note.-We have other in
formation along these lines. The
stocking up of coal is not only pre-
caution against the imminent coal
strike, but also an imminent steel
strike.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09

particular case, and in every mine
the recognition of the mine COM
mittee elected by the miners, with
out the checkoff.
s. The right to strike, organize
and picket; free speech and free
assemblage, and against arbitration.
!. The right of Negro miners TO
work on all jobs and to live in any
houses in all sections of the mines
and on equal terms with the white
miners.
Around these demands 1t is neces-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09

being driven by the miners who
were forced to haul empty and
loaded cars without being paid for
and take the mules in the mine and
bring them back.
No Change
We raised objection TO these
practices. The government conci-
liators came here to settle the griev-
ances but no change in the condi-
lions took place. So we decided
that the only way to settle our
grievances was to strike and we DID
it. We will continue to do so UNI D
our conditions are improved al p
as we want them to be. 1t is i'll
portant to mention that we struck
each time against the will of Mr..
Pagan and other friends" such as
DR.. Springer and Miss Joyce, who
are paying US frequent visits.
We were waiting for years. Our
conditions went from bad to worse.
Now we know that the only way to
improve our conditions is to strike.
And we will continue to strike re-
CARELESS of Mr.. Pagan, Springer
and regardless of the law which
says that we can not strike.
But / must say that our strikes
have had some serious weaknesses.
We never elected broad strike COM
mittee. We did not try to spread
our strike into other mines Of the
Pittsburgh Coal Co., although tbs
same conditions and grievances exist
in those mines.
Our conditions are such that WI
will have more strikes. In the fu-
ture we must force the local Lead
ers to carry out our decisions and
if they fail we must change them
We, the followers Of the NMU must
consolidate our forces and become
the outstanding defenders of the
interests of the rank and file nninerA
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
BY a Worker Correspondent

PITTSBURGH, pas a Negro,
wish to use the columns Of the
Daily Worker to say q few words to
my people concerning the present
situation in the coal fields.
Not long ago the miners of Penn
sylvania came on strike 10000 strong.
We, the Negroes, took an active part
in the strike. Our women partici-
pated on the picket line and singing
songs to encourage other folks for
better fight. But what happened?
We were sold out! President Roose-
welt sent us back to work without
giving us anything.
Leaders of the UMWA, MIR. Lewis,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Miners! Help Your "Daily''
MINERS OF TIE PITTSBURGH DISTRICT:

ATTENTION., MINERS OF THE PITTSBURGH DISTRICTS
You doubt Of the is
quite well satisfied with
during the months.
Daily Worker staff
The special
efforts Of the Daily Worker
What TO help the Daily Worker?
to Campaign
by the District Committee pittsburgh
District.
mining field, asking write articles
Worker the conditions the mine
how the see
that the Daily Worker reaches possible
needs at least 500
ssbs get? District
raise $1,000 for the sustaining
that continue with the
to mining campaign by asking
fellow
donate to the Daily today
September g. Collect funds for the Daily Worker
BOB SIvERT'
District Daily Agent
PITTSBURGH Pa.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-09
Struck Five Times
in Montour No. 10
to Get Concessions
Men Defy Decision Of
Pagan Not to Fight
Operators Attacks
(By a Worker Correspondent

PITTSBURGH, Pa.-Since the
betrayal of our big strike on Au-
gust 9Th we, the miners of Montour
No. 10, came on strike on five diff
ferent occasions. The last time we
struck on Sept. list. Each time we
struck trying to settle some local
grievances. The September LIST
strike came as a result of this:
We have a man trip. The motor
man and snapper of each man trip
used to get one hour extra every
day for the handling of the man
trip. The company put the bosses
on the man trip and cut the motor
men off. The motormen and snap
pers in this mine were forced to
work dinner hour but were not paid
for it. The tir/le crew is working
nine hours but get pay for 8. There
are 20 mules in the mine but only
3 drivers. The other II mules are