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  • Yup. And I recall a conversation with a West Virginian re: Unions. "I don't need to hide behind a skirt," he told me. Jayzuz.
  • So weird to see that today. West Va. is where miners trying to organize & strike were murdered 100 years ago.
  • edited September 6
    Hi @AndyJ et al
    If you're not familiar with the movie, check/view the movie 'Matewan'.

    Matewan movie 1920's W. Virginia. Coal miners vs the owners. A very good depiction of these troubling times. About 2 hours and one may select the 'CC' in the lower bar to have 'closed caption'. Available 'FREE' at YouTube.....click the Matwan above.

    The Molly McGuire's 1876 Pennsylvania coal mining; with the workers pitted against a nasty company. The mining equipment, etc.; is very accurate. Sean Connery, Richard Harris (1970; and others. The bold movie title is the link for choices via Prime, etc. Closed Caption is indicated as unavailable. About 2 hours.

    The 1913 Copper Country Miners Strike (9 months) in Calumet, MI (Keweenaw peninsula). This is an academic presentation (1 hour) about many items surrounding the strike. On YouTube, FREE; and with CC, as needed.

    These 3 presentations range from 1876, to 1913, to the 1920's and then the large auto workers walk-out/strike (1936) in Flint, MI; that became the birth of the UAW, in the birth place city of General Motors.

    There were many other labor 'circumstances' taking place throughout the U.S. during these periods.
  • Thanks for those reminders, @catch22.
  • catch22 said:

    Hi @AndyJ et al
    If you're not familiar with the movie, check/view the movie 'Matewan'.

    Thanks, @Catch. The Sayles movie Matewan (and the W. Va. event itself) were exactly what I was thinking about when I posted. And like your post shows, bad things like that happened all over in the early stages of unionizing.
  • Those interested in labor history might like to pick up Standing at Armageddon by Nell Irwin Painter.

    Slightly offbeat is Cowboy Detective, by Charlie Siringo, who ended up being a Pinkerton in the mountain west.

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