You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Thursday October 15, 1903
Indianapolis, Indiana - U. M. W. Secretary Wilson speaks out against discrimination.
The Huntington Herald of Indiana printed this article yesterday, reproduced here in full:
Protest of Negroes, Members of the U. M. W.,
That White Miners are Drawing the Color Line.
Indianapolis, Oct. 14-Information has come to the national officers of the United Mine Workers of dissatisfaction among negro miners in the southern part of Indian, who allege that there has been discrimination against them. Three negroes at Linton have begun a movement to seek redress against the alleged disfavor in which they are held, and have presented their case to the officials of their organization at Terre Haute.
Negro Has a Right to a Fair Show
Secretary Wilson, of the United Mine Workers, said in speaking of it: "I do not know what the outcome of their meeting will be, but I know that it is not the purpose of the United Mine Workers to discriminate against the labor of any man in the organization. Our organization expressly prohibits discrimination against any on account of race, color or creed, and the negro is always to be given a fair show with the white man."
These are fine words from the National Secretary of the miners' union, William B. Wilson, and we are sure that he means them sincerely. We will also point out that the United Mine Workers of America is a leader among unions in attempting to end discrimination across the color line. But we would hope that these words will lead to positive and long lasting action to end the shameful practice of white miners drawing the color line against their brothers within this great union. Real and lasting Solidarity is what is needed if the United Mine Workers expects to have the strength needed to take on the powerful coal companies.
SOURCES
The Huntington Herald
(Huntington, IN)
-of Oct 14, 1903
Blossburg.org
"William Bauchop Wilson,
Secretary-Treasurer
United Mine Workers of America (1900 - 1908)"
http://www.blossburg.org/...
Photo from WV Encyclopedia
This is not a photo of the miners in this story,
but is used to represent them.
http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/...
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Wednesday October 15, 1913
Southern Coalfields, Colorado - Coal Operators Provide Gunthugs with "Death Special."
The coal operators have brought a new machine into the strike zone of Colorado. Called the "Death Special" by the miners, the machine is an automobile covered with armor and equipped with a search light and a machine gun. It is usually seen roaming about the various tent colonies filled with Baldwin-Felts gunthugs holding their rifles at the ready. Word has it that Mr. Felts, himself, had the large automobile delivered from Denver to Rockefeller's Colorado Fuel and Iron plant in Pueblo. There the sides were torn down and replaced with three-eights-inch steel plates. The machine gun was shipped in from West Virginia where it had served previous duty against the miners of that state.
SOURCES
Buried Unsung
Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre
-by Zeese Papanikolas
U of Utah Press, 1982
Out of the Depths
The Story of John R. Lawson, a Labor Leader
-by Barron B. Beshoar
(1st ed 1942)
CO, 1980
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Tuesday October 15, 2013
From UMWA.org, some history on diversity in the UMWA:
African American coal miners have a proud history in the UMWA. Among the elected delegates to the founding UMWA convention were at least five African American miners. By 1900 approximately 20,000 black miners had joined the union, representing about 20% of UMWA membership.
One of the best known African American UMWA members was Richard L. Davis, who mined coal in West Virginia and Ohio. A delegate to the founding convention in 1890, Davis later served as a UMWA organizer in Alabama, Ohio and West Virginia, and was twice elected to the UMWA National Executive Board.
Read more here:
http://www.umwa.org/...
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Solidarity Forever-United Auto Workers
Sung by Sister Angela Kelley & Brother Troy Coman of Local 898
For the Union makes us strong.
-Ralph Chaplin, 1915