Justice in the Coalfields 

My great great grandfathers come from Bohemia in the late 1800s. They were sworn in and went to Baltimore Md. to work textiles. They saved and then bought land on the eastern shore to farm because in Bohemia all you could do id lease land. It led to my grandfather which farmed, worked the water haul seining, oystering and crabbing. He bought one of the first corn pickers in the area and people hired him to cut their crops. He later bought a tavern and my grandmother, and aunts and an uncle all worked it. I don't remember a lot of what he said, but I'll never forget him telling all us grandkids one Christmas after a cousin told him all he wanted to do was work the water, but it was starting to look bad, but he was NEVER leaving the eastern shore. He said I'll tell you as my grandfather told me, geography does not feed your family. If you live in a place that does not serve you, leave, because it's a big world and somewhere out there will. NEVER put all your eggs in one basket, if you drop it or its stolen, all's gone. He used the advice of Einstein, insanity is trying the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. I have lived his words, and I have let places and jobs go, but it has always been better for me....

When you threaten a man's livelihood and expect he won't become violent you are either a fool or evil take your pick.

I was a union coal miner from PA. Some of our local members and I went down to Pittston. It was an honor to support the workers. Thank you for this.

Corporate greed has spread everywhere. No mom and pops stores we are ruined.

Not a coal miner by any stretch of the imagination but as a 30 year machinist this is crazy, we’re talking about some of the hardest working people and totally deserve to be compensated by these companies. This is a perfect example of greed for profit instead of taking care of the people responsible for it, I know all the Machinists I’ve talked to stand by y’all brothers.

Miners set the stage for this nation's growth. They were treated like disposable tools by the companies as they risked their lives EVERY DAY to get the job done. From this U.S. Marine.......I offer EACH OF YOU a firm hand Salute and thank you.

17:44….. I don’t know if anyone will read this or even comment. I was the trooper on the left that comes into the picture. I’m last seen at about 17:53. I was a 21 year old rookie at the time and only out of the academy for 3 months. This was the last thing I wanted to be involved in. I talked to a senior trooper and explained to him that both my father and grandfather were miners and I just couldn’t be here. Luckily I was sent back to my station and troop. The way the miners were treated by the VSP still sickens me to this day.

Not a miner but us IBB Boilermakers have always stood with our UMWA brothers & sisters. IBB local 533 Hagerstown, Maryland.

Simple question: “Which side are you on?” ✊

In 1989 I was on my way to Marine Corps boot camp, I was out of options, I was married with a child and couldn't find a job bagging groceries, I lived in So. WV, heart of the coal fields and couldn't buy a job, this was the worst time period since the formation of the UMWA, and it's never been the same, talk to boys who worked at Patriot Coal, history repeats itself. Side note: I was blessed enough to know Elaine Purkey personally and sang with her on several occasions, sadly she's went home to be the the Lord, she was Union til the day she died.

My great grandfather was a cole miner my grandpa has a picture of him and his union in front of the mine hanging in the dining room thanks for sharing

Thanks so much for making this available! My Dad was 1 of the 99 at Moss 3. I was in the UMWA student auxiliary during the ‘89 strike. One of the best real life educations I ever received.

my mommy was apart of the senior class who protested in front of clintwood court house, she told me about it my whole life growin up. i’m so so glad i’ve got video footage of it now

Grandfather was a union coal miner in Pa. Died early with 1/16 lung capacity. My mother and my two Aunts had to supplement his care as his benefits were whittled away. Now, I'm a retired union grocery worker. 45 years at Safeway. If the Kroger -Albertsons merger goes through, my healthcare benefits and pension will go into some rich crooks stock fund.

I can't believe that was over 36 years ago .Thanks to Anne for making this film.

“Right to Work” - U.S. right-to-work laws do not aim to provide a general guarantee of employment to people seeking work but rather guarantee an employee's right to refrain from being a member of a labor union. Corporations and other employers use it as: if they have a right to work…then we have the right to fire them. All it is happens to be anti-union and make sure people know which side has the power.

If the police arresting people on the picket line are just doing their jobs as they are told to do, lost their Healthcare or wages were cut, how would they react?

I love our country life!!! Im proud of you boys, nerves of steel!!!

Two jobs I would never consider 1) a coal miner 2) Bearing Sea Crabber

Absolutely incredible documentary. Thank you for sharing.

As a dump trucker who hauls coal (and asphalt and limestone /aggregates since you can’t just rely on hauling coal only these days) the guy @ 15:55 REALLY got under my skin. Almost every ounce of coal that’s trucked is hauled by independent trucking companies who have no connection with the coal company or its owners besides agreeing to haul their product for pay…..small trucking companies absolutely even single truck owner operators ABSOLUTELY loose money when strikers hold us up when we’re just trying to feed our families, victimizing people who don’t have the luxuries they enjoyed for years as union members…..I’ve never had health insurance, paid vacations, or been able to only work 40 hours and actually survive on that. A majority of dump truck companies in Appalachia pay their drivers a percentage of the trucks gross instead of an hourly rate and every minute those wheels aren’t turning you aren’t just costing the trucks owner money (unless it’s an O/O, but the argument is the same) if it’s driven by an employee you’re stealing food from their family because you’re too proud to go work for a non union mine or accept that you’re going to have to lower your standard of living to the level a lot of us are already at. I’m not anti-union, and I agree with most of what’s said here, BUT this one guy is just such a clueless A-hole I had to say something to educate those who might just agree with him without knowing the facts. That “half hour” (probably longer, it serves his argument to underplay their actions here) that truck sits will VERY likely cost that driver an entire load that day….coal buckets are making several repeat trips through the day 99% of the time and we have to start loading when the company starts loading trucks and be loaded before the loaders quit and go home at the end of the day, and we time things very carefully to ensure we maximize the trips we make since were paid by weight hauled, not by the hour or mile. One half hour of being stopped would cost me my last load on at least 2/3 of my work days…..and if you’re getting 4 loads a day, that little turd blocking your truck in just cost you 25% of your income for that day…..imagine that over a whole week, you’re talking about taking 25% of a man WHO IS NOT A SCAB’S income as part of your strike. If they were blocking scabs from entering the mine I’d say I agreed 100%, but holding up a truck that’s not owned by or driven by an employee if the company you’re striking against IS WRONG. If it were me I’d have absolutely gotten out of the truck and demanded he move, if he didn’t I’d have called the cops and he could rot in jail for all I cared, and if he got violent I’d have been forced to pull my CCW on him. I say this as a warning to people who agree with hurting independent truckers who have nothing to do with the company not caving to their demands during a strike until their demands are met…..we truckers don’t take being basically forcibly detained by anyone lightly. If you’re wrong, you’re wrong.

My grandfather was born in 1910 and worked in the coal mines his entire life. He ended up dying from blacklung. He tried to get benefits so he didn't have to worry about his wife and 8 kids. He died with nothing except worry. My grandmother got his black lung check after he died. I'm happy she at least got help, but I wish he had the peace of mind before dying at 59 years old.

Man oh man that’s some beautiful bluegrass pickin❤❤❤

Solidarity forever

Love the videos, thank you

I've worked both union & non union throughout my 66 years, without union representation workers are just an unnecessary evil to the companies/ corporations/ business. We are expendable without proper compensation without unions.

My grandfather was apart of the strike and my grandmother was arrested with the other wives blocking the entrance to the mine.

Wish politicians would look out for miners not just minors on an island somewhere

Federal officers used as STRIKE BREAKERS! In Kentucky if you work as a strike breaker you never carry a badge the rest of your life.

My maternal great grandfather, Simeon Acuff Keller, was the UMW President of District 19 (Tennessee and Kentucky) during the 1910s -1920s, probably the most thankless job in America at the time, apart from being an actual coal miner, which my paternal grandfather and great grandfather were, right there in S.W. Virginia. My grandfather was injured when a huge rock fell on him in the Stonega Mine in Virginia, but he did recieve some money that he was able to put to use to help support his family. My great grandfather died not long after being severely injured in the mine…I believe he was struck by a rail car or something, i canʻt quite remember right off top of my head. My family was 100% miners and shiners!

I was a construction worker for 5 years until i injured my shoulder at 18. Manual labor is a good way to make a good living in canada, oilfield, construction, logging, etc. I cant work now, and the company fucked me over and got away with it. I could live with the anger inside of me if i thought i could carry on living. But i cant tolerate doing nothing. I have too much time to reflect.

And the union did nothing for my grandpa when he died, career coal miner, loyal to the union, died of a heart attack and because that wasn’t a job related death they took his pension and pocketed it.

I was a kid living in Haysi when this happened, but my father was a miner with black lung disease who passed away few yrs before this went down. I remember picking up jackrocks all the time lol.

Southwest Va., Northeast Tennessee, Western N.C., and Southeastern Ky., are the stepchildren of each of their States.

I worked underground for 15 yrs. Mentioning going union was a big no no

God Bless All Union Workers. God Damn All Right to Work Laws!!!!!!

My grandpa and my dad both died from black lung, working in the mines of Southern West Virginia. I went to school and got my miners card. Couldn't get a job back then ,the mines were booming so most didn't want red hats which were new guys who had never mined. So I never tried again

I remember my Father going on Strike back in the early 80s,I can remember making jacks out of lawnmower blades 55 gallon barrels full of they being dropped out of pickup truck in front of the Scabs coal trucks

This was excellent!

Im a 24 year member of the ibew and i remember years ago we were struggling to fund our pension due to new federal regulations and then were begging for 5 dollars a year raise and medical kept going up. And my BA stood up and told the body we would take a pay cut before we cut benefits owed to our retired brothers! Families live together stand together and die together!!!

thank you

I watched a documentary that y’all made a few years ago that I would love to have a link to. I believe it was called “blood stained coal”. It was about the scotia mine explosion disaster. If there’s anyway I could have a permanent copy of that, I would love that!! Thanks.

I remember the strikes at pittston and the other mines in 88-89 the Virginia state police were running roadvlocks because they hired scab truck drivers to haul coal. This was on 60 minutes I recorded it. I love the bond the mountain folk have. I'm a born and raised Virginian.

John L. Lewis got the miners organized and headed in a new and better direction back in the day.

Bascom. What a name.

I grew up in southern West Virginia during this time and I can remember how the miners would throw jack rocks in the road and throw lit road flares into loaded train cars to keep the company from running coal during the strike.

I'm from North Carolina and I would never live in Virginia. I have various reason here's one of them. I worked with a retired Virginia State Police for 10 years. He told me that on Memorial Day weekend when they set up their speed enforcement, they had a quota. The quota started at one mile per hour over the speed limit and for every mile per hour over the speed limit there was another one to check off. One mile per hour over the speed limit...

My grandpa was one of the troopers there he used to talk about how much he didn’t want to be there.

How much salary did a coal miner make( in the south) in the 1980s, as opposed to a miner in the north where there are still unions and union shop/ membership requirements as condition for employment?? Was it enough to get by in those days or to live comfortably in the 1980s....

The way the coal companies exploited the miners and the land is just sickening.

But there still our hills, Always Will Be.

Solidarity forever.

My pappaw homer huffstutler worked those mines for 40 years starting in the 1930’s. Wise Co VA

Great-grandson of a Logan County Wv coal miner here.

This is no different but on a much smaller scale of self checkout at stores! It’s big brother cutting cost to put more money in their pockets while the man that is working to make them their millions is kept a pauper

I worked for clinchfield coal company yellan branch my dad worked

Nowadays all you good mountain would run anyone out of the county that even spoke of a union. Your fathers would hate you.

I was there with Johnny Cox

NALC Branch 389, Letter Carriers stand in solidarity with all union brothers and sisters.

My Papaw was a UMWA organizer and member from around 1932-33 until he passed in 2007. He was born in 1916 worked 32 inside and drove a coal truck 12 more. Remember this strike my Papaw hated that company man Odom.😂😂 Lee Co.Virginia says hello

Evil people and their money…. thats all they care about is money. Not whats right, only money. What a sad life that must be.

The owners only know one way to run a mine..no union protection, lax safety standards, low pay, and no insurance.

awesome

This is all the results of living in a fallen world God bless them

As a kentuckian who moved to Virginia for a couple years, i came runnin back Virginia work laws are GARBAGE ,thing is, now our Commonwealth is now adopting their ways, in fact they passed a bill in kentucky to where they arent obligated to give you brakes by law anymore it was carrol county VA sylvatus my ex girlfriends grandfather was a coal miner and i think he was a lead union person or something, the way she talked he was some big wig it was interesting

As a member of IUOE local 25 I’m not much to happy with having to spend money but when a dredge goes on the rail for repairs they keep me working either decking on a tug or welding on another dredge. So it’s kinda mixed feelings about unions.

Workmen compensation would have to pay you for the rest of your life. Union benefits UMWA would have to take care of you because one crooked coal operator is not the whole industry. It's your buddies that will suffer the most. My grandfather's worked for R&P coal since they were 8 years old The child labor laws were a joke. When my grandfather broke his back and couldn't work he had to go on relief. In the 70s when they came out with the black lung my grandfather didn't want it because he thought it was just another forum of public assistance. My grandparents went thru he'll. After a lifetime of work and service in two world wars my grandfather died in 1987 with 17000 in a box and half of a old coal mining company house and if it was not for black lung he would not have had anything. Working the high coal never paid anything except just enough money to live.

What was the reason a lot of them were wearing camo?

Ive been tryin to find the Internet version of this applshop for a long time did it used to be called something else i think it had another name i just kept seein it on ket all the time and love ever doc they make

My dad was union and my grandfather was non union.

I worked underground too

"The major battlefront in Appalachia has been the coal mines. Since the mines first opened, the minors have been engaged in a fierce and bitter conflict with the coal companies, their political lackeys their gun thugs and sometimes the UNSA military. There have been numerous deadly battles and many outstanding proletarian heroes like Mother Jones and Harry Simms, have arisen. The Appalachian Proletariat, as it's history shows, has always been willing to pick up the gun to protect what belongs to it, and this militancy continues today!"

The folks did what they needed to do. NO, there is no justice for the little man..........YET, but it's on the way.God is still on the throne.

If you think that these miners have it rough today. Just remember that the first two PA state troopers to die in Pennsylvania died one mile away from my house in Florence/ Anita PA. The black hand society killed them because the miners here didn't take any guff. Everyone got screwed when they closed the mine and re opened it non union. Owed my soul to the company store. I just baked Pagac. Pagac is bread dough and cheese and potatoes with bacon grease and butter. It's what you made when you had no money and no food in the cupboard. No one makes it anymore because people have money now. Everyone misses eating it but no one will pay you to make it for them because they ate it for free when they were kids and their parents had to pay the bill or stand in line for the government cheese. How, many of you even know what government cheese is?

If all these great men knew the whole south was right to work now days they'd roll over in their grave!

My family used to mine in the British owned mines in Wales. Had a relative get killed. Owners gave his wife the equivalent of $25 bucks and evicted them from their company-owned home. Came over here...and went back to mining 😂. Palmyra, Ohio.

The shame of Right to Work….pathetic

It's nice to see that cops lied back then as bad as they do now. The old trooper said, we're neutral. As neutral as the company paid them to be.

Hear a song 🎶 Celtic Thunder Working man and Whiskey 🥃 in the Jar 🫙 go with the coal 😊.

Ask a man for a job If he says no Ask the man for bread If he says no TAKE THE BREAD HE HAD THE CHANCE TO DO WHATS RIGHT

Why do people think a private company owes them a job?

Ludlow. Never forget.

Lots of cool old stuff here. How old are most of these films?

UMWA may have won the battle with the Pittston strike but in the end they lost the war. This strike is when Cecil Roberts became known and eventually become UMWA National President. He thought the UMWA had the same power today as they did back then. Ask the UMWA what happened to them in Alabama when they went up against the Warrior Met Coal. The UMWA got their backs broke in that one. Stayed on strike for 2 years with the end nowhere in sight and Cecil sent a letter to Warriors president saying they would go back to work with no new contract. I guess the slogan “1 day longer” didn’t apply in this strike.

I was an underground miner I was a shooter man then went on a roofbolter.

38.00 scabs talking smack against the UMWA unions. I worked in a steel mill that shut down in 2005 because of a union disagreement. We always figured out a fair contract and life went on. But this company had Scabs-R-Us contacted in advance to take our jobs. All this stoppage to break our benefit package. Our union members paid in a 1,350,000,000.00, that's right, billion dollars for our retirees benefits. Our Steel Mill co. squandered millions of dollars buying corporate jets and blowing money buying insurance companies. And a Company that went bankrupt. When was the last time one heard of an insurance co. going bankrupt? These companies in the USA do not care for any employ after they are maimed and crippled from hard back braking work.

42:51 im pretty sure thats the same lawyer from the qild and wonderful whites of west Virginia, its like 20 to 25 years later hes older and has a mustache, im pretty sure thats him

What's even sadder those miners that paid into it still lost their benefits ain't no unions in southern wv now the mines can't get anyone to work offering awesome benefits, pay no one wants to do it cause they now they'll just get massed layoffs, a man don't want to destroy their body doin that work ,then I the back of their mind wondering if their gonna have a job ,much less retirement everyday, people don't trustem anymore so guess what they've done in the past is bitin em n the ass now

My heart and love go to these people "they keep our lights on ' '

I remember a few years back those in DC were slapping each other on the back after passing a new bill into law. It gave Tax breaks or cash helping busness move out of the US. They prase and bragg how this was going to give jobs to people and rase there stander of living and how they would be able to buy US made goods. It seem like win win for the US people and the people were new plants would be build. But did it as how many little towns have become gost towns due to places moving out of the US and paying less to have the itam made. Then shipping it back to sell to the US people. And claming it was a win win seems to fall a little short when it comes to dumping the US worker Then paying those people less than a US worker was paid.

Right to work states keep the little man down.disgusting

A movie was made about this holly hunter was in it and Ted Levine

This is why I'll never join a union.

Right to work for less

Right to work doesn’t work and there pay is shit compared to union workers pay is .

Good thing about America is if you don’t want the job then go find something you do.

The UMWA killed coal.

Right to work should be illegal all over. These suits make me sick they don’t mind living the life of Riley off the broke backs of miners

Where are all the anti union folks at.

Derkie White Castle from Boone County, WV city of Bim is a famous legendary coal miner.