Giant Strike Planned
May 24, 1902
Summary
The 449,000 men in the coal industry could create a “special national convention”; if all are in consensus with a strike, the scarcity of coal will “paralyze business and inconvenience the people throughout the United States”.
Transcription
Mine workers union may call out soft coal men.
Hazleton, Pa., May 17.-- The anthracite mine workers in convention yesterday, in order to win their strike, unanimously decided upon a plan that if carried into successful operation would practically tie up the industries of the country, paralyze business and inconvenience the people throughout the United States. It is their desire that a special national convention of the United Mine Workers of Ameirca be called as soon as practicable, for the purpose of endeavoring to have all the bituminous mine workers, both organized and unorganized, involved in the anthracite miners' struggle. This announcement was officially made by President John Mitchell in a statement giving the result of the deliberations of the delegates in convention.
If a special national convention is called and the miners succeed in their object it would affect more than 449,000 men, who are employed in and about the coal mines of the country. Coal would soon become scarce, and this would ultimately result in the tying up of railroads and all sorts of industries that use large quantities of the fuel. It is doubted by some interested persons here who are closely watching developments that the business interests of the country would not stand idly by and permit such a plan to be put into effect.
An absolutely trustworthy source is authority for the statement that the special convention will be called, probably at Indianapolis, in the course of several weeks. According to the rules of the United Mine Workers, a petition signed by five Mine Workers' districts is necessary to call a special convention. The three anthracite districts are unanimous for such a meeting, and it is likely that the West Virginia district and the Michigan district will consent to the issuance of the call, so that they, too, may receive the benefit of whatever may be accomplished.
The matter of calling out the engineers and pump runners from the anthracite mines to allow the workings to become flooded and damaged, was left by the convention to the description of the national and district officers. What they will do cannot be definitely learned, but it seems probably that they will be permitted to remain at work, for the present at least. It was said at strike headquarters yesterday by an official that the United Mine Workers' organization has all along followed a policy of protecting mine property, on the ground that the destruction of accumulated wealth, as a rule, ultimately affects the workmen seriously.
Hazleton, Pa., May 17.-- The anthracite mine workers in convention yesterday, in order to win their strike, unanimously decided upon a plan that if carried into successful operation would practically tie up the industries of the country, paralyze business and inconvenience the people throughout the United States. It is their desire that a special national convention of the United Mine Workers of Ameirca be called as soon as practicable, for the purpose of endeavoring to have all the bituminous mine workers, both organized and unorganized, involved in the anthracite miners' struggle. This announcement was officially made by President John Mitchell in a statement giving the result of the deliberations of the delegates in convention.
If a special national convention is called and the miners succeed in their object it would affect more than 449,000 men, who are employed in and about the coal mines of the country. Coal would soon become scarce, and this would ultimately result in the tying up of railroads and all sorts of industries that use large quantities of the fuel. It is doubted by some interested persons here who are closely watching developments that the business interests of the country would not stand idly by and permit such a plan to be put into effect.
An absolutely trustworthy source is authority for the statement that the special convention will be called, probably at Indianapolis, in the course of several weeks. According to the rules of the United Mine Workers, a petition signed by five Mine Workers' districts is necessary to call a special convention. The three anthracite districts are unanimous for such a meeting, and it is likely that the West Virginia district and the Michigan district will consent to the issuance of the call, so that they, too, may receive the benefit of whatever may be accomplished.
The matter of calling out the engineers and pump runners from the anthracite mines to allow the workings to become flooded and damaged, was left by the convention to the description of the national and district officers. What they will do cannot be definitely learned, but it seems probably that they will be permitted to remain at work, for the present at least. It was said at strike headquarters yesterday by an official that the United Mine Workers' organization has all along followed a policy of protecting mine property, on the ground that the destruction of accumulated wealth, as a rule, ultimately affects the workmen seriously.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Brooke Royer
Citation
“Giant Strike Planned,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed April 24, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1062.