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a d "gs - . —— QO. oO - bie L720 INTERVIEA (ys with the UMW. I remained a member of the (MW until I quit mining on continued : “as far as I know, relations between Elsheff and the Ui at Mine B were good prior to 1932, I don't know which union Elshoff or Falcetti favored if any as I did not hear them talk about unions "In the Spring of 1937 a group of men having FIA cards were org- anizing for UKW. JI ikmew the following men: Dominic Pasquale, Pete Carter, Frank 4ustin, Tony Plotch, Jo cotton, John Sirtout, Gocrge Jaoaray, Enory Jacaway, Charles Bohannon, James Hale. In the Spring of 1937 these above mentioned men were trying to get the men to sign up with the (Mi and I saw two fights by the wash house, but I stayed away because I did not want to get in trouble. I do not know who the men were as it was dark. I heard the fight was over union matters because they would not join the UM. and theso PLA men never came back to the mine. I was never threatened either by the ULM of the Plu. men, and I was not asked to join the at this time "In Mey, 1937, I heard some men had beon expelled from the PMA “because they were acting as organizers for Uk, but I do not know ther names. The least dey the mine worked, in May, 1937, I loaded the ¢oal cars short, “because a PLA man named John Schneider told the miner to do so while we were down in the mine. I loaded the cars short, but mo one told me why we loaded them short, and I did not ask. I always did what the Union told s I did not want any trouble, however, no om threatened me when aon awe ak snorve “Elshoff would not sign a contract with Pld in 1937 and thero was pleanty of men to work. I think Elshoff liked the Wi better than the PRA because latcr he gave the UMW a contract, but I don‘t know why he favored the UMW. “after the shutdown at Mine B in May, 1937, I was in the picket line of PMA at that mine about two wecks at the most. From May 1937 to November 39239, 3 did not have recular work and did not go back to the wits gg aww eg Sa oe Sa 8 DR aes Th a die B Kaede he ae mine after I finished about two weeks picketing, until the mine re-opencd in Novembcr, 1959, "In November, 1939, when I went back to Mine B, I was still a member of PMA and no one asked me to join the UMW until just before the second NLRB election in February, 1941. Just before this election, Tony Plotch, who was a member of UT and a check weighman at Mine B, talked to me at the mine. Tony said, ou might as well. join UMW as all the reat have. Tony talked to me in a friendly way and did not threaten me. He gave a Bil card to (phonetic) who was a member of the UMN, and he brought it to my house a Springfield. I « 400 - coon |