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C Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL INTERVIEW WITT majority in these two mines, Mine B and Jefferson. Between 1932 and 19237 Elshoff would never try to Stornuec) get along with the PMA. "As far as I knew the PMA miners got along well with, and liked, and trusted the PUA officials. "In 1936 the UMW tried to obtain UMW sympathizere in the union offices in the PMA. "I knew the following men were UnW organizers both before 1937 and after the mine opened in 1939: Joe Albanese, Andrew Schrelevious, Cominic Pasquale, Fete Carter, Frank Austin, Tony Flotch, John (Cotton) r Ananias, John Sirtout, George Jacaway, Emory Jacaway, Charles Bohannon, and James Hale, | "Sometime in December, 1936, just before the regular PMA local election, handbills appeared in the Mine B wash house, The bills read, 'yote for Tony Plotch for check woighman and you will be voting for the eb! J do not know who put out these bills. I did not put them out "It was my understanding that the PMA District Board members had a clause in their contract with Elshoff by which the miners were to get ain retroactive pay dating back to April 1, 1937. This was not peid to the miners. It was expected that Pra would get as good a wage scale as the UMy would obtain, "In April, 1937 at the mine offices there was some amongst the miner< who expressed dissatisfaction about what wages they were getting and that they were not being paid what had been agreed upon in the contract. "The whole group of men whosc names are mention above in this atoament toe gay af thi a q statement took advantage of this feeling and were active in telling the miners they ould never get their retroactive pay. "about 1934 or 1935 thc top boss told me that Falcetti had instruc- ted him to go to the men who work on top of the mine and gct them to accept a lower wage scale, That is, a scale lowor than we were then receiving. The Top boss, whose name I do not remomber refused and he was fircd, Ho was a company man. "Tl do not remember if I attended the PMA meeting on May 11, 1937, I did hear that some UL agitators had been thrown out of the PMA at that meeting. 1 he oO > !