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C Oo | RE: JOHN L. LEVI8, ET AL bc LTD INTERVIEW WITH 3 nights a week on picket duty. During this period I rae never saw any violence by either union nor witnessed any ~ {continusé } destruction of property. “J wes at the mine on one occassion, I believe it was in Sept of 1937 when 15 UMA men tried to open the Tine. There were between 200-300 Progressives there picketing, but I never witnessed any violence or threat... _ The opening didn’t succeed as more men were necessary for operation. The Progressives wouldn't work with UM7A and as I understand it the 15 UMA and 300 PWA maabers represented the men_s actual feelings on union member shir at that time. . "I remember voting in the NLRB election in December 1937. I though. thet it was an honest and fair election. I recall that UM received only 25 votes, and believe that at that time the great majority of the men at Mire B favored the Progressives as shown by the great majority the had in this election. *I can only explain the feilure of the Progressives to sign a con- tract with Mr. ELSHOFF during the 23 years that we were out on strike to tne fact that Mr. ELSHOFF didn't seam to care to deal with the Progressives tut preferred the United Mine “orkers. I recall a conversation with Mr. ELSHO™ woy beck in Moreh of 1932 during which he anid that JOBN L. LEVI8 was a va. / good friend of his. During the same conversation he said that ne didn't want to work and was just looking for on easy job. “then I went beck to Mine B about the firet of 1940 I was stili « member of the Progressive Union, although the mine was working under an oj; %- shop egreanent. On Jan_ 25, 1940 a UMVYA orgenizer. came to me and osked me to join UMA. He filled out tne application and 2 signed it, becouse I thought thet the mifority w.s going that wey. No force or violence of any kind was used on me. I got sick, however, and wos unable tc attend the initintion and the next morning while I was changing clothes in the wash roan I was hit on the temple, knocked over a bench, and kicked while I wes down by UMA men. I didn't seo my essailants but know that I wes beates for not showing up at the UMiA meeting. I only sow one other beating at the mine and didn't hang around to see who the parties to it were. *T voted in the 2né BLRB election in the Spring of 1941. This elec~ tion wns held fairly & aquarely in my opinion. The majority wos for UMA ond 108 for Progressives. "Very shortly after the above election Mr. ELSHOFF and UMA official reached an agreement and there has been no real trouble ot the mine since that date. . » $338 « ee ge ee fe