◆ SpookStack

HE: JOHN L. LEIS, ET AL. NTERVI Ew Wi TE cee area This information was vclunteered by me and feicett2 nevor asked me as to what union I was going (continued te join. I was given a jcb and told to start the next day. ; ithin a day cr two after I started at the mine 1 talked sbout my union status with Bohannon, Plotch, Cotton and a few othera. They had known mc fcr some time inasmuch as they all worked with me at Brewerton. They suid they would reinstate me with union local at Mine B and thus T would save the $10 initiation fee, I was issued a cord by the U.M.w. local at Minc B and I was eppcinted by Bohannon, President ef the locel, I bolieve this Was abcut abcut 50 days er kept job until I was discharged in Lay cf 1941. "I know thet there were some fights ot the mine, but never actually saw any cf the fighting. 1 did see some men who had been beaten up. I was quite active ct the Kine in trying to crganize fer the U.M.iv. I had gone around to various employecs and tried to get thom to join the union, tartcr tho election in Feb. of 1941, the company didn't seem to be living up to their ecntract es far as the men were ccncerned, that is laying cf track, etc. I ect up at ea union meeting and said the men shouldn't have to lay thcir cwn track. The unicn committeemen wore standing for it and the Propressives were raising the dickens, I said at the meeting thet the UU... hed premised the men better conditions, etc; that we should try tc help the Prcgressive men who hed joined cur union. said after the necting, to me thet I would have tc dc o8 I was told if 1 wanted te work at the mine. Ho had said in the meeting that Felectti wanted it that way, so I told hin after that it wasn't living up to the centract to work like that end I wouldn werk unless wo worked ecccrding to the contract. "I resignod my unicn cffice at that same mocting, but they told mo to put it in writing which I did. J turned in my resignation and at the next meeting they refused to accept it, so I said I wouldn't go tc any more meetings until a nc Sy; appcinted. "ibcut ao week or so after I was told by the company thet I had set e "“xindy shot". One morning I went to start work and'wes told to roport te the office and get my line check. Falcetti said I had a bad abot the nite. - before; that it had blown off a couple decors and almest killed a man. Falestti said the mine examinor hud determined it was ny shot, He said he wouldn’t let mo ge down intc the mine so I could see fer mysclf that it was ny shot, Faleetti said I had been talking too much anyway and thet ho hed to fire me. was working with mo at the time and he is now in Africr with tho hey never did fire Be he told me aftorwarda that he didn't think arihy's _ ~ 223 -