West Virginia coal miners strike, defend selves against National Guard

[Omaha Steve]

And people wonder why only one in five are in the UMW!

http://www.unionist.com/today-in-labor-history

April 18
West Virginia coal miners strike, defend selves against National Guard - 1912

[hobbit709]

1. My first job after high school, I was actually a member of the UMW

Even though I didn't work in a mine. I worked in a plant that turned coal into charcoal briquettes. Still had to take three showers after work to get clean from the coal dust.

[POAS]

2. "Harlan County War" will be showing this weekend

on the cable network "Sleuth".

It is a dramatization of unionizing efforts at a Kentucky coal mine in the 1930's starring Holly Hunter.

Given recent events I'd say it is worth a look.

[druidity33]

5. i love Holly Hunter...

always had a little crush on her...


:P

[ET Awful]

11. They say in Harlan county there are no neutrals there, you'll either be a Union man

or a thug for J. H. Blair.
Which side are you on boys, which side are you on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iAIM02kv0g

[POAS]

12. Unfortunately there were plenty of thugs!

[Lyric]

3. Blair Mountain was the only time in US History that the federal government used

air strikes against citizens on US soil. It's shameful, what happened that day. Absolutely shameful.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Remember the Battle of Blair Mountain and the Matewan Massacre

http://www.friendsofblairmountain.org/history/articles_giardina.html
http://www.wvculture.org/history/labor/matewan04.html
http://www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/minewars.html
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=14093

The next person on DU who suggests the miners got what they deserved because they don't stand up to the coal barons ought to be smacked for their sheer ignorance. And yes, I've seen those posts.

[Lyric]

8. You know our DINO governor sold Blair Mountain to Massey last year, right?

It was supposed to be a National Historic Site, and he opposed that designation in order to make sure Massey could strip-mine the mountain. Bastard. I wrote about it back then when it happened. Not many people were interested, unfortunately:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6178876

[Gold Metal Flake]

14. Ho many mine workers vote Republican?

[backwoodsbob]

16. W.V. coal country has been

undivided under democratic rule for 80 years.

That Democrat enough for you?

[ThomWV]

4. If you go down to Matewan you'll see the old RR Station, Massy restored it.

[KG]

7. another fine example of the military protecting our 'freedoms'.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Coal mining has always been a 'war priority industry' so their employees didn't get drafted...

and so strikes were not tolerated by the public and the regions missed out on the economic advancements created by the GI Bill, etc.

The regions have also not experienced the social mixing and progress the rest of the country experienced.

[stray cat]

10. And women and blacks and gays have no opportunities and are born to fail because of 1912?

Most of us no longer live like we did in 1912 - in fact most of us were not even born....and most would also fail history

[Bitwit1234]

13. A lot of the Discovery Channels show the

fight between the Molly Maguires and the coal mines and the Pinkertons. These Maguires were exposing the mine. And the corporations sent in the Pinkertons to kill and get rid of them. They set the whole group up for a false murder and hanged them. One of the guys put his hand on the wall of the cell and said the imprint would stay there till the were proven innocent. The say the wall has been plastered, painted etc and every time the hand print comes back. So stranger things do happen. That was back in the 1910 and 20's I think so this struggle has been around a long time. And look at how good the Union used to do for people. That's why they wanted to get rid of them. And Reagan started it all with his Union Busting of the air traffic controllers. He was the most disgusting piece of work as a president almost outdoing Bush Jr. if anybody could every do that.

[Omaha Steve]

15. Kick