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/ C | wv re Re: JOHN L. LECIS, ET AL be that the F.tla. officials could get as good a wage scale as the U.M.W. I don't remember much that happened in this matter because I did ‘not want to heave anything to do with it. {continued "IT don't recall going to the F.l.a. meeting the night before the strike stirted, and I don't remeber seeing any notice of the meeting. On the day the strike started in 1937, someone told me that the men were quittinz. JI heard that some of the miners were sending out cars loaded with short veipghts, but I don't know if there was any orcanized plan for the miners to locd their cars short. I don't know what the trouble ms, and I don't know the reasons for the strike. I Inter heard that some miners had been acitating for U.u."., and that the efitetors hxd loaded their cars with short weights. JI don't know anythin: more about the strike. “JT don't renember sicninre a petition for P.M.A. in 1937, but I knor that I did not sirn 4 petition for U.M.¥. “after the strike beran Cotton ananias came to my home andasked me \\ to join the U.N.U. I remenver that he said something about Mine B reopening ' if the U.t.v. had the miners. I saw Ananias several times, but he only came | to my home on one occasion. I si him a couple of times in tom. I think — that Cotton Ananias told me that the Hine B officials would reopen the sine when U.N... had a majority of the miners, but would not open Hine B as lone as P.iaa. had a mijority of the miners, However, I am not certain that Aninias did say this. I do kmow thrt he did not threnten me. Nor did anyone else threaten me. "I heard that Mine B was going to reopen in September 1939. I went to the P.H.A. union hall and found out that the mine was going to reopen, I also heard that the U.N... was eoin: to come in amd take some jobs awiy fron P.h.A. mene AS I recall there were about 8 or 10 U.N. men that were eoinc into the mine. The F.i.a. decided to picket the mine to keep out the U.t... men. I don't know when the P.l.A. decided to picket the mine. I wont out to the picket line because I wanted to. I stayed with the rest of tha men. I say only Mine B men there. "It is my opinion that Elshoff got the Federal injunction to keop the P.lla. men away from the mine so that the mine could get U.M.”. men into the mine. "TI voted in the election in Decneber 1937 at the State Armory, and votec for the P.L.a. I was satisficd with that union, and wantcd to keep it. I aon} know anything about the details of the election. ix. f -166- (ee