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Tes JOHN L. IRIS, ET AL. Springfield, Tllinois, Pf was interviewed at his home on ror rarerrenag i fender 6, 1943 by Was = in ax interview and expresse i8 Wiltiingness to testify if neccssary. He under~ stands English fairly well, but has ab ffioulty in expressing himself. He claimed to have no criminal record. The following signed statement was obtained from pF “Springfield, Ill. September 6, 1943 - v1 and Bureau of Invcs made me. RT live at working at the present time. as born came to the United States i: I was naturalize "T joined the Ukin in Se Missouri, and was a morber of that union until 1932, when f was working at Peatody No. 59 when I joined the PUA. when I begen working at Mine B, end joined the Pro= gressive kine workers of smerica, I was satisfied with the PA, because the leaders seomed square, and the union seomed pretty good. They didn't have mony assessments, mercly the reguiar dues. “Just before the strike in 1937, I heard that there were some men agitat ing for the Uli. No one asked me to join; and I don't know whether the agitators worked at the minee J don't remember going to a PMA meeting on the night before the strike. I heard from some men who went to the mecting that there was to be a strike because Elshoff wouldn't have any- thing to do with the P.H.A., and only wented to bargain with tho U.k, a“. =f never heard of any statements made by the management which would show that they preferred the U.M.4. to the P.M.4. I don t remember hearing that any men were kicked out of the P.M.Aé. Because I had heard that there was to be a strike, I didn’t go to work on that day. I don't think the wage dispute had . anything to do with the strike. ‘hen the P.M.A. got only # temporary agroe~- ment with Mine B, tho miners folt that the P.M.4. officers could get as good a woge scale as Ue Moe, and were satisfied with their efforts. I don't know anything more about the strike, or the reasons for it. "J don't remember signing a petition for any union, or being asked to sign one. I don't ever remember being asked to join a UM. local. I got a letter about a U.N... membership, but don't remember the date of it. In -176- re A ee. ice re sre cee a ate SRR RATE MS pet TT r