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INTERVIET ‘11TH "Just before the strike in May, 1957, ELSHOFF was bargaining uderhanded with the U.M.W. He refused to continu sign & contrect with the PNA», saying thet he wouldn't make 8 wage adjustment retroactive. I think he used that question be~ cause he wanted to prolong the disagreement, so the U.i.W7. oould organise, and get enough men to work the mine, 80 he wouldn't have to work it with P.M.Ae mene ‘There had been & rumor around in Mey of 1957 that ELSHOFF wos going to bring in 0<i.7- men to work the mine. after the strike, no Uad.We men showed up, so the P.M.A. men didn't stay around the mine. I had heard, in eand wmion meetings, some discussion of what to do with same men who were socused of collaborating with the U.l.'7e I don't remember the exmot details, but I think thet a referendum was hed, and it wes voted that the men be suspended or expelled fram the unions Om the dey of the strike, the grievance committee went into see ELSHUFF, and after a while, oome out, said they couldn't reaoh an agreement, so we wouldn't work the mine. 1 think the strike wis cclled to force ELSHOFF to sign the controct, und not espeoiully to force him to fire the men suspended fron the P.li.ase, but I can't sny positively which it wos. I kmow tho mén” loading ours short either: the day of the strike, or the day before. The reason for this wis th.t the oanpaony wanted to produce a let of coal, and told the drivers to bring up oars in a hurry regardless of whether or not they were filled. The drivers would pick up the oars before the diggers could fully locd theme As. . I remember, this wus the reason for louding short, und I don't remember heving anything ubout louding short os co protest aguinst the monugomente "From 1932 to 1937 no onc approtched me or uskod me to join | the U.M.We Nobody really aporoached me on it wtil 1940, after I hud one bask to work. Right efter the strike, ine Be on't remember signing ony petitions for P.Mee or any cher unions In the fall of 1937, I went out to Mine B to go to work, when I heard it wos going to open up ogcine ‘Then we got out to the mine, we found out that ELSHOFF was going to have U.M.\/. man work the mine too. ‘shen we heard that we decided that we wouldn't work the mine with UM. men, und we wouldn't let the U.i.'7. men try to work the mines There wasn't any trouble, beouuse the 25 U.M.T. men there couldn't work the mine, und went home. ‘When they left, we stw ELSHUFF und offered to work the mine, but he refused to cllow us. We stayed ut the mine for 60 to 56 duys, to protect our jobs ond sec thet ELSHOFF didn't get eny U.M. We man to work the mine. “Je were more like gu.rds then pickets, [nd wanted to keep the U.M.iWe men from dostroying the propertye I think BISHEF got the injunction to get the Pitas. off tho property, und aliow tho DeMelle. | men to work the mine. The P.Haue men weren't hurting the property, end co Fm ae ae reolly left it cleaner thn before they ounce - 176 « Me me tn eta Se cE wee i ee Bo eg