You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday April 1, 1914
From the Miners' Bulletin: Striking Miner Killed by Scab in Calumet
From today's edition of the
Miners' Bulletin comes news of the death of a union miner in Calumet:
Albert Salo Murdered
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Albert Salo a striking miner who lives at No. 4 Wolverine was shot by John Lampsa Monday afternoon as he stood on the corner of Fifth and Pine streets Calumet waiting for a car to take him home. It is said Salo and Lampsa had a slight altercation in a nearby saloon and as Salo left the place to get his car he was followed by Lampsa who pulled a gun and without saying a word shot Salo in the abdomen. Salo was picked up and taken to Calumet Public hospital at Laurium where he lingered until 1 o'clock yesterday when he died. He leaves a wife ant two children at Wolverine. Lampsa married and lives in Calumet. He was arrested soon after the shooting and lodged in jail. Lampsa is a strikebreaker who returned to work soon after the strike was called.
Mine Managers Demand the Turning In of Union Membership Cards
All attempts to arbitrate the strike in Michigan's Copper Country have come to naught:
Operators Remain Stubborn
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Refuse to Arbitrate With Local Men.--
Strikers Will Fight It Out to Bitter End
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Learning that the mine managers were anxious to have a conference with the men and are working hard to get men to break from the ranks of the union, the several local unions selected committees to wait upon all mangers in the district last week. The result was that several mangers made very liberal overtures to the men, but were compelled (as they state) to still demand the turning in of union membership cards by those returning to work. One manager went so far as to state to the committee that the men could easily get another card after having given up their first one, and returned to work. The strikers having fought out their battle on clear cut honest lines, spurn such an offer of deceit and treachery as suggested.
A meeting of the district union was held Saturday at which the committees submitted their reports and it was the opinion of every member present that the strikers would refuse to repudiate their union as such proved to be the case when the proposition was put before them. The governor, the Commercial Club, the press and Mine Managers have repeatedly stated that if the settlement of the strike was put entirely in the hands of men and Mine Managers (with the elimination of agitators) it could be accomplished without difficulty and the men would return to work. However, the conferences of last week disprove this theory and the men are more determined than ever that their rights as citizens must not be interfered with .
Considering the opening up of spring and summer following many of the strikers claim that they can live much cheaper [than] they have the past six months, and that benefits can be reduced to a considerable amount. Fuel and clothing will be small items of cost; many farmer sympathizers have made offers of material assistance in furnishing vegetables; tents are to be furnished the families who will be unable to secure houses as the United Mine Workers have offered the use of five hundred tents, therefore the strike can be continued seven months longer with but little cost to organized labor which has signified its determination to stand by the Michigan strikers until a settlement is arrived at.
At the meeting of the district union held yesterday it was determined to carry on the strike indefinitely. The following concerning the conferences between the men and managers proves conclusively that that the Mine Operators are not merely fighting "agitators" and "Red Socialism" but that they have made a determination to crush out unionism of every description.
[emphasis added]
Report to South Range Copper District Union No. 16
There followed several reports from the various meetings between the striking miners and the mine managers. The following is an example:
South Range, Mich
March 26th, 1914
To the officers and Executive Board, members of the Copper District Union No. 16 Western Federation of miners
Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned committee appointed by our local union president to wait on superintendent F. W. Denton Copper Consolidated Mining Company to see in what if any, we could bring about a settlement between the striking miners and operators. After thoroughly discussing the matter, Mr. Denton stated the only way the striking miners would be taken back would be by giving up their membership in the Western Federation of Miners and signing an agreement not to join in any labor union. He further said that it would not be right to employ any men out now on strike on different terms than those who are employed at present time.
Charles Takkinen,
Bartel Babich,
John Vernetti,
Joseph Utecht.[emphasis added]
MacNaughton: No Re-employment for "any striker who does not first surrender his Western Federation of Miners card."
A meeting with James MacNaughton of the dominant Calumet & Hecla Mining Company was also described which we condense:
James Elliott, John Barich, Mike Plese, Louis Simon, Sam Notario and Victor F. Berg, called on Mr. MacNaughton General Manager, Friday , March 27th.
James Elliot: Mr. MacNaughton, we as a Committee representing the different nationalities of the men now on strike call to see whether the men formerly employed by you can come back as they went out, without bad feelings toward any man, and according to your statement that you would shorten the shift and grant a minimum wage......
Mr. MacNaughton: ...As I have stated on many previous occasions we are willing to take back into our employ the great proportion of our former employees who went out on strike. Being full-handed at the present time it will be necessary that these former employees make application and their applications will be considered as vacancies occur in the order in which the applications have been made. We will not discharge one man from our employ from any of our mines for the sake of making an opening for a returning striker nor will we reemploy any striker who does not first surrender his Western Federation of Miners card. In making this statement I wish to say it is our intention to give our former employees the preference if they desire to return to work, but we shall always reserve to ourselves the right to refuse to hire such of our former employees as we have stated so many times in the past we would not hire, namely, men who have been arrested or convicted of violence, or men who have incited to violence.....
[emphasis added]
SOURCES
Miners' Bulletin
"Published by authority of
Western Federation of Miners
to tell the truth regarding
the strike of copper miners."
-of April 1, 1914
Death's Door
The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder
-by Steve Lehto
MI, 2006
Photos:
1). Western Federation of Miners Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
2). Banner: In Unity Strength
http://blogs.mtu.edu/...
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There Is Power In A Union-Street Dogs
Now I long for the morning that they realize
Brutality and unjust laws can not defeat us
But who'll defend the workers, who cannot organize
When the bosses send their lackeys out to cheat us?
Money speaks for money, the devil for his own
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone
What a comfort to the widow, a light to the child
There is power in a union
-Billy Bragg
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