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ete on rns art ot . a . ~ ro wea . Ro AE ra ted ere ee vd, SO C LI LID “J can't remomb2r how the strike started, or why it started. The miners started to load their cars with short weights. I remember that we were called out of the mine just before quitting tims. I don't know why the miners were loading their cars with short weishts, but 1t miyht uave been over some trouble with the U.H.W. organizers. RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL "I yenomber that I signed a P.I.A. petition in 1937, but I can't renenber what it was for. I don't rememner signing any other petition, I know that I did not sign a petition for U.M.4, “Nobody came to my house after the strike began to get me to join the UM. "In Soptembsr 1937 I think that Lf receivid a notice from the mana ment of the mine that the mine would reopen. As TI recall the P.MVA. had a mecting the dar before the day the nine was to rcopen, and it was decided at this meeting that the F.L.A. men would picket the mince if any UE men were allowed to vo down into the mine. Faicetti, the super, tried ts pusn the PULA. men away from the cage to let the U. M. wy men get into the cage to zo into the mine. The P.M.A. men picketed the minc 80 wat the ULE. men could not go into the mine to take away the jobs of the P.M.A. men. The F.M.A. men only wanted to pretect their jobs. "T was in the picket line in 1937 for a long time. I can't re- mombir just how long it was. There werc only Mine B men on the picket line. No once forced mc to go on the picket line. The P.M.A. had a mene and voted to picket the mine if the managemen. tried to put U. Mc, men into the mine. chile the picketing was going, I obteined a job at Mine A. 1 have been working at Mine A cv.r since. I don't know what went on at Mine B after I left. I heard a lot of rumors, but I only want to tell what I know personally. NI joined the U.M.. when that union obtained a wajority of the s at inc A, I was not forced to join U.M.V. I was tircd of the strike that had happened at Mine B, and I did not want the same thing to happen at Kine A. I don't cars which union I belong to; one is just as good as another. "This statoment consisting of tro typewritten pages has been read to me and I stat: it is true and correct to the best of my knowledze.® /-| es ,» Special Agcnt, F.B.I. Springfield, Til. pecial Agent, F.B.I. Springfield, Ill, a je itnesses: ao4 _ os |