Great anthracite coal strike. Chronology of the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 2019-01-20
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Although Roosevelt blamed the operators for spurning mediation, he again appealed to the strikers. Despite all of these injustices, it was hard for The United Textile Workers, an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor, to organize these workers, as many were immigrants whom did not speak English and many who did feared losing the little income they had. The Commission itself requested the appearance of 11 witnesses. He invited mine operators and John Mitchell to meet with him on October 3. They agreed to a suspension of work on May 12 while a convention was held in order to determine the next course of action. Letter, Roosevelt to Cleveland, Oct. The frequent strikes in the anthracite region have done much to array operators against any organization.
Heeding Lodge's advice, Roosevelt worked behind the scenes to gather information and propose ways to settle the strike. Lesson Summary Seeking better conditions and higher pay, coal miners in Pennsylvania and West Virginia walked off the job in 1902. Joe Beddall, a hardware store owner, went to the assistance of his brother, a county deputy sheriff. Over 100,000 coal miners had been on strike since the spring, and production was at a standstill. Five-hundred fifty-eight witnesses appeared, including 240 for the striking miners, 153 for nonunion mineworkers, and 154 for the operators. Roosevelt ordered striking workers back into the mines while the Anthracite Coal Strike Committee gathered information about the dispute. The two forces operated in parallel until 1931.
Roosevelt stands up to the coal barons. Ultimately, the miners won a ten percent increase in pay with a concomitant reduction in the number of hours worked each day. After five months of deliberation, the committee called for a 10 percent pay increase and a reduction in the workday from 10 hours to nine. Morgan have a meeting where they agree on a resolution for the strike. President Roosevelt believed arbitration was the way forward. Their owners were wealthier and more vehemently antiunion.
The Anthracite Coal Strike May-October 1902 began after mine operators refused to meet with representatives of the United Mine Workers of America. There were no more major coal strikes until the 1920s. The operators rejected the offer. Letter, Roosevelt to Marcus A. There photographers took pictures, and the room became so saturated with smoke from their flash powder it had to be aired out.
Output was reduced and wages increased. Watching from Washington, Teddy Roosevelt became increasingly alarmed. In order to do this, power must be given the authorized representatives of the people to act for them by conducting a thorough investigation. Anthracite railroad managers and anthracite mine operators are under a grinding competition with bituminous coal. Anthracite, or hard coal, is composed of almost pure carbon and burns with a clean flame. Then Wright proceeded to reduce the highly emotional claims to a factual account. It is part of a bad system of over-manned mines under which miners try to distribute work.
Morgan, whose bank was reorganizing the railroads that owned most of the anthracite coal mines, to settle; and representatives of President urged the anthracite operators themselves to settle. Harbaugh, The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt New York: Oxford University Press, 1975 : 165-79 is an account of the 1902 strike. Great Anthracite Coal Strike for kids Interesting facts about the Great Anthracite Coal Strike are detailed below. The anthracite coal miners' strike began in May 1902, among anthracite coal miners in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. McKinley won by a wide margin. The 'Long Strike of 1875' was instigated by the , a secret society of Irish coal miners in Pennsylvania. McKinley had been assassinated, and Hanna had lost much of his influence.
A History of the Coal Miners of the United States, from the Development of the Mines to the Close of the Anthracite Strike of 1902. On October 13, Root and Morgan brought their arbitration proposal to Roosevelt, who then made it public. What the anthracite coal industry really needs is a reorganization like that after the London dock strike of 1889, reducing the number of men but increasing work for each. This helped to galvanize public support for the strike, since the union appeared reasonable, while the mine owners were being difficult. He recognized that under ordinary conditions he had no right to interfere in the strike.
The oldest children left the family to try to offer support by heading to the big cities. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. Following the strike, the United Mine Workers became for a time the largest and most powerful labor union in the United States. Wright, and Secretary Cortelyou were present. The miners, over 150,000 of them, walked off the job because of harsh working conditions, long hours and low pay. Army seize the coal mines and operate them until such time as the owners agreed to arbitration October 14 J. These miners faced the wrath of the community either through the threat of violence or public censure for breaking the strike.
Letter, Lodge to Roosevelt, Oct. The maintenance employees, who had much steadier jobs and did not face the special dangers of underground work, walked out on June 2. Religious leader Walter Rauschenbusch worried that 'the country was on the verge of a vast public calamity. In 1888, Congress passed a law aimed at promoting industrial peace in the railroad industry. One of the important events during his presidency was the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902.
Compromise became difficult and conciliation almost impracticable when this extreme step was taken. Attorney General Harry Daugherty also convinced a federal judge to ban strike-related activities, leading the strikers to return to work, after they settled for a five cent pay cut. Clarence Darrow made the closing arguments on behalf of the union. He also heard the miners' side from John Mitchell, whom he summoned to New York. Quoted from Mitchell Papers in Cornell, Anthracite Coal Strike, pp.
