◆ SpookStack

Clank interviewed at least 150 employees who had returned to bine "B" and took statements from 50 or 60 of them. In regerd to the union effilfetion at the time of ra-ermloyment, agent was acvieead thet during the veriod of the shutdown many miners had secured empleyment in other mines which were controlled by UMW, and as a result had joined that union. The general sit wtion wee that there were many Frogressives who had not been loyal tc .:e PMW, and UMW was able to persuade these men to become members of that union. CLARK further steted that in some cases miners who had ahifted - from the Frogressives to UMN when they received notice that Mine "Bt WAS re-epening returned to line "B" because of its proximity to Snringfield, Tilinois, ‘here they reintsined their homes decavse of the convenience of the lecation. The UMW offered no sbjection to this, and in CLARK's opinion suggested that the change be made. CLAZH stated thet two other factors influenced employees to shift their mexbershin from FM to UMW, the firet being thet tt was a policy of the Progressive union not to hire any anprentices as long as any Progressive members were whem! loyed, whereas UMW festered the hiring af the sons of UkW a ie et ee workers #8 apprentices, even though some UMW members might be unemmloyed. SLaRK stated thet it wae commen kmowledge around Snringfield that the Progressive union was not paying death benefits when due. He stated thet URW capitelized on this and made a point of paying death benefits very promptly and dramatically. He etated that he knew of two instances when on the death of a UMW member a large cormittee was appointed to attend the funeral of the deceaned and pay the benefit to the miner's widow at the funeral, CLARK steted in regerd to the use of vinlence and coercion on the part of members, that there wee no question iu his mind but that some vio~ lence did occur, Tt wee his spinion that the resvonsibility wes about equally divided between the two unions. CLARE stated thet the acts of violence were certeinly known to the manegercnt of Hine "B", but that there wee no indication that they were approved by it. Both ELSROIT ese Fab [itl aa Am Ly ~ stated to CLaPK thet it was impossible to e.ve individual miners encugan protection while working in the mine or to etep the vicleace weich war occurring between Dovember of 1939 and Jamiery of .%41. Local suthoritins were Not cecnerative. Both ELSEOFF and PALCETiL etater te (LeRE that they wished the viclence would stop. In regard to ciscrimination on the vert of the management in Piring nev workers, CLaak stated thet it wes the contention of Fiw thet FaLCETTI, who wee prinertly concerned with the employment of new men, had discriminated against PMW, On investigation, it was determined ‘hat 3 ae ee ie — . * edie FN AR SE re EE YE TS LN EE et oe r