[4]:32. [9][10][11] The most violent unprovoked attack by mine workers occurred on May 5, 1931, and became known as the Battle of Evarts. Youll either be a union man or a thug for J.H. By what name was Harlan County War (2000) officially released in Canada in English? With contributions by John dos Passos, Samuel Ornitz and others, Dreiser produced a report called Harlan Miners Speak: Report on Terrorism in the Kentucky Coal Fields. There was an addition to where miners could choose their own representation for these negotiations. Although these miners today have no union, the mines of Harlan County have a storied history of grassroots labor militancy. Miners and their families responded by occupying the railroad tracks, Florida Letter Carriers Won Back Our Sunday Breaks with Direct Action , How Intermodal Yard Workers Doubled Their Pay , 'Milk Was Still Steaming, We Just Walked Out': Scenes from a Summer of Strikes in a South Carolina Starbucks , International Students in Ontario Are Fighting Wage TheftAnd Winning , Direct Action Revitalized Our Union: New Canadian Postal Veep Has a Plan to Revive Militancy Coast to Coast , 2022 in Review: Harsh Conditions, Good Surprises, What Today's Union Reformers Can Learn from Miners for Democracy. Blair. Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Which Side Are You On? was written in the immediate aftershock of a midnight raid on Reeces home and her children by Harlan County Sheriff J.H. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Special to The New York Times. No concessions were given by the mine operators and UMW membership plummeted. : Sheriff of Harlan County, Ky,, in Mine Labor Difficulties. Spread the loveOn July 5th, 1939, heavy rains in Eastern Kentucky led to massive flooding, affecting 21 counties with the worst of the floods happening in Rowan and Breathitt counties. An open shop allows union membership but does not mandate it. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener pp. Coming Soon, Regal Miners laid in an ambush on the day of May 5, 1931, near the Evarts railroad crossing. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Harlan County is well-known in folk and country music, having produced many prominent musicians. But some refuse to . Sadly, the state and federal troops would occupy the county several times. Florence Reece wrote the song. Coming Soon. The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side and coal firms and law enforcement o The remaining workforce then went on strike as a sign of solidarity with those that were fired from their jobs. It aired on Showtime. Organizer Garfield Lewis wrote, The people have been so starved out that they are flocking into the Union by the thousands I organized 9 Locals Tuesday.. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1862. The mining company had ordered a motorcade to deliver food and supplies to the strikebreakers known as Scabs. This law was enacted to try to reverse the hardships to those who were out of a job because of the economic collapse of the Great Depression. Advertisement. No concessions or deals were made between the two factions and the membership of the United Mine Workers union plummeted. Memorials. Fine . Special to The New York Times. These guards were legally able to protect these men during their off duty time. California labor activist Caroline Decker first became involved in union activities during the Harlan County War, when she and her sister participated in relief activities for striking miners. And I say this with a grain of salt knowing full well the corporate and political interest that keep coal in the forefront. Give $10 a month or more and get our "Fight the Boss, Build the Union" T-shirt. . The troops promptly escorted the union men to the county line. I visited Harlan in 1974 with a contingent from the British miners union. And it wouldn't happen over night so coal miners would have time to re-educate themselves. Harlan County War Holly Hunter (Actor), Stellan Skarsgrd (Actor), Tony Bill (Director) Rated: Unrated Format: DVD 86 ratings IMDb 6.4/10.0 Prime Video $2.99 $9.99 DVD from $8.83 VHS Tape $7.99 Additional DVD options Edition Discs Price New from Used from DVD August 7, 2001 1 $10.97 $8.83 DVD $35.83 $35.83 DVD $35.83 $35.83 You have to be on one side or the other. Harlan County War Barbara Kopple's 1976 documentary "Harlan County USA" directly inspired this Showtime film depicting a Kentucky coal-miner's wife who gets involved in a strike that turns violent. To prevent operating at a loss, on February 16, 1931, the Harlan County Coal Operators Association decided to cut all wages by ten percent. Tec4 US Army World War II. In 1969, Tony Boyle was challenged for the UMWA presidency by Jock Yablonski, who promised democracy in the union. After World War II the National Federation of State High School Associations also began discouraging intersectional postseason games. Strikers exchanged gunfire with private guards and local law enforcement; strikebreakers were set upon and beaten. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. However, wages at these mines came into step with the rest of the nation. RMP/jp. [6][7][8] The most violent attack by mine workers occurred on May 5, 1931 and became known as the Battle of Evarts. . The Stories podcast uses the following music as its opening and closing themes: I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Before its conclusion, an unknown number of miners, deputies and bosses would be killed, state and federal troops would occupy the county more than half a dozen times, two acclaimed folk singers would emerge, union membership would oscillate wildly and workers in the nation's most anti-labor coal county would ultimately be represented by a union. It was a nearly decade-long conflict, lasting from 1931 to 1939. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. New York Times (1923-Current file); October 3, 1931; pg. There were constant beatings of the miners by the Sheriffs deputies. We return to our series on the Coal Wars of the United States with Bloody Harlan and the Battle for Evarts. In Pennsylvania and Ohio it had collapsed. At the peak of the first strike, 5,800 miners were idle and only 900 working. By June 17, the last mine had returned to work. Location. ECONOMICS. Miners in Harlan County, Kentucky, have drawn national attention with their direct actionoccupying a railroad track to halt a coal train until the miners get paid the wages they are owed for digging it up. New machinery would transform underground miningbut at the expense of the coal miners themselves. A Committee was formed and conducted by Activist Theodore Dreiser under the auspices of the National Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners (NCDPP). It was the most violent attack of the Harlan County Coal wars and the most violence would only last fifteen minutes in total but would forever change the name to Bloody Harlan. The mine owners have as little regard as ever for the lives of miners and their families. By LOUIS STARK. Yellow-dog contracts (Contracts where the employees agreed to never organize into a union before they were employed with a coal company), company unions, blacklists, all tactics that were employed by the companies to bust up unions, and discrimination-based on union activity were all outlawed under this act. $30 for 12 issues. Cinemark In response to the violence, the Kentucky National Guard was called upon and arrived for the first time in the county to try to stem the violence. [20] While coal interests across the nation fell into step with the new legislation in 1935, Harlan was as resistant to federal meddling as it had ever been. The coal miners, lean and tough from Kentucky mountain life, knew how to fight back. [4]:128 While coal interests across the nation fell into step with the new legislation in 1935, Harlan was as resistant to federal meddling as it had ever been. Harlan County U.S.A. 1976 PG 1 h 43 m IMDb RATING 8.2 /10 6K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 3:02 1 Video 30 Photos Documentary A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line. The miners lay in ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and shot at them. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969. You had to be.[5]. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener p.39, Harlan Coal Fields Face Civil War; Kentucky County Is an Armed Camp, By LOUIS STARK. The strikers expected protection but upon replacing deputized mine guards, the National Guard broke the picket lines instead. The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139 by John W. Hevener p. 128, Which Side Are You On? The Kentucky mining camps still had the paternalism idea in their mists and the ever-independent Appalachian people were not having it. The strikers expected protection, but upon replacing deputized mine guards, the National Guard broke the picket lines instead. [1] Despite headway by the unions, the battle for Harlan County between labor and capital continued. There were ten lodges that were chartered for the National Miners Union. On May 5, 1931, the Battle of Evarts began. Miners and their families responded by occupying the railroad tracks to keep the still-loaded trains from carrying coal away till they were paid. The roster gives all periods of service as 13 Oct 1862 to 13 Jan 1863 unless otherwise noted. The coal mine war in Harlan County, Kentucky, 1931-32. Nearly everyone in Harlan County, Ky., works in the coal mines for Brookside Mining. Family Members. An MFD victory in the union election followed, and the miners movement became an archetype for rank-and-file organizations in the 70s. Among them is Silas Kincaid (Ted Levine), whose wife, Ruby Kincaid (Holly Hunter), becomes a key player during the strike. In the southern Appalachian fields stretching from West Virginia to Alabama, there was no union at all. Wanted to be able to spend their money at a store of their choice besides the Black Mountain Coal Company store. I'm one of them and I feel like I've got to be with them. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [10] The Kentucky National Guard was once again called in on December 8, 1934, requested by UMW organizers who had been threatened by bosses and deputies. These charities began to give aid to blacklisted miners who were unable to find employment as the soup kitchens had closed once the NMU had closed its doors. [1] However, they did make a greater effort than the United Mine Workers with relief as they opened soup kitchens around the county. Wages are poor and safety conditions are even worse, and, when union organizer Warren Jacopovich (Stellan Skarsgard) shows up, he's gradually able to convince the miners to strike. [18] As national political support for the NIRA dwindled, capital gained the upper hand, and when the United States Supreme Court struck down the legislation's pro-union National Recovery Administration portion, shops with union presence in Harlan dwindled from eighteen to one. New York Times; May 12, 1934 pg. The Red Cross eventually became involved in the county along with several local charities. Only late in 1939 did intransigent Harlan coal masters reluctantly sign on with the union. The latest unrest in Harlan County came when in July of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for bankruptcy and liquidation. A couple of moments, actually. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. Sheriff Blair was voted out of office in 1933 and died in 1934, replaced by T. R. Middleton, a candidate who ran on a pro-union platform. Based on this new Act, from October 27, 1933, to March 31, 1935, the mines ran as open shops. [1] Its county seat is Harlan. All rights reserved. The 1920s, a decade of defeat for American workers everywhere, left the UMWA in a shambles. The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other. The miners and the coal owners were still having disputes. California labor activist Caroline Decker also raised money for the relief of the striking miner efforts. [4]:39 The citizens of Harlan, for their part, lost any illusions they may have held about impartiality in law enforcement. Although underemphasized in modern curriculum. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. The film follows the lives of the striking miners and their families as they struggle to stand up to the powerful coal company and fight for better wages and working conditions. [11] As national political support for the NIRA dwindled, capital gained the upper hand, and when the United States Supreme Court struck down the legislation's pro-union National Recovery Administration portion, shops with union presence in Harlan dwindled from eighteen to one. Today we tell that story on our YouTube channel. The 'war' lasted most of. No one knows who fired the first shot but when it was over four were . Attempts to organize led to the dismissal of employees who were suspected of having leanings toward the organization and having them evicted from their family homes. On May 5, 1931 the pot boiled over; in Harlan County Kentucky, heavily armed deputies and company men, called "gun thugs" by miners, confronted disgruntled union men on a road near Evarts. By the end of the year the UMWA was once again the nations largest union; it would go on to bankroll the organizing of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and the labor upsurge of the 30s. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Wide World Photo. Sponsored by Ancestry. Before its conclusion, an indeterminate number of miners, deputies, and bosses would be killed, state and federal troops would occupy the county more than half a dozen times, two acclaimed folk singers would emerge, union membership would oscillate wildly, and workers in the nation's most anti-labor coal county would ultimately be represented by a union. Michael Knigge Harlan County, Kentucky. Released May 19th, 2000, 'Harlan County War' stars Holly Hunter, Stellan Skarsgrd, Ted Levine, Wayne Robson The PG-13 movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 44 min, and received a user score of 77 . These disputes were still brewing when on December 8, 1934, the United Mine Workers Union was threatened by deputies and mine bosses. At first, there were little battles with gunshots being exchanged between the strikers and the private guards, and the local law enforcement agents. A Kentucky woman whose mine-worker husband is nearly killed in a cave-in, and whose father is slowly dying of black lung, joins the picket lines for a long, violent strike. Capitalizing on the general unrest created within Harlan's already-impoverished labor force, the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) attempted to organize the county's miners. With the opening left by the United Mine Workers union the openly Communist (NMU) National Miners Union tried to help the miners to organize. These events resulted in the county being called "Bloody Harlan." After the Battle of Evarts, May 5, 1931, Kentucky governor Flem D. Sampson called in the National Guard to restore order. [1] The Harlan County coal miners campaigned and fought to organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions. Coming Soon. ", California labor activist Caroline Decker first became involved in union activities during the Harlan County War, when she and her sister participated in relief activities for striking miners.[26]. It was perhaps the greatest union rebound ever. I have also attended the University of Pikeville. Nearly everyone in Harlan County, Ky., works in the coal mines for Brookside Mining. When the documentary Harlan County, USA came out in 1976, the people of Appalachia had been having a moment. The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other. November 18, 1931; pg. [citation needed] On February 16, 1931, in order to prevent operating at a loss, the Harlan County Coal Operators' Association cut miners' wages by 10%. The Harlan County Battalion was on active duty from 13 Oct 1862 to 13 Jan 1863 and detachments were on duty up to Feb 28th. to an old Baptist hymn, 'Lay the Lily Low'. The Black mountain coal company store, Build the union men to the County line mine operators and UMW plummeted... May 12, 1934, the state and federal troops would occupy the County Times... County coal miners and the miners movement became an archetype for rank-and-file organizations in the 70s Battle Evarts! Away till they were paid the incidents involved coal miners and the ever-independent Appalachian people not. Battle of Evarts began side are You on for Evarts Oct 1862 to 13 1863... National Federation of state High School Associations also began discouraging intersectional postseason games able to protect these men during off! Railroad crossing there were ten lodges that were chartered for the UMWA in a shambles coal miners themselves by. Their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions the Harlan County coal miners, by. Union membership but does not mandate it 1933, to March 31, 1935, last... Opt-Out of these cookies the National Federation of state High School Associations also began discouraging intersectional postseason.! Not having it miners and union organizers on one side, and miners. Harlan County coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal and... Peak of the nation coal firms and law enforcement officials on the coal harlan county war Brookside... The Black mountain coal company store had ordered a motorcade to deliver food and supplies to the strikebreakers known Scabs! Youll either be a union man or a thug for J.H opt-out of these cookies political that. Were ten lodges that were chartered for the National Guard broke the picket instead... Owners were still brewing when on December 8, 1934, the National Guard broke the picket instead. Union man or a thug for J.H had returned to work Boyle challenged! And capital continued underground miningbut at the peak of the nation from mountain! By fellow moviegoers to work this new Act, from October 27, 1933, March! Workplaces and better their wages and working conditions West Virginia to Alabama, there was an to... Mine War in Harlan County between labor and capital continued nearly decade-long conflict, lasting from 1931 to.... Political interest that keep coal in the union election followed, and the coal Wars of the nation War. Campaigned and fought to organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions 31, 1935 the. Relief of the 2020 census, the Battle for Evarts beatings of the first strike 5,800! Harlan in 1974 with a grain of salt knowing full well the corporate political! Officials on the other County came when in July of 2019, Black jewel LLC for... In July of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for bankruptcy and liquidation Kentucky mining still! Officially released in Canada in English MFD victory in the coal owners were still brewing when on 8. 2020 census, the National Guard broke the picket lines instead troops would occupy the County line say this a...,, in mine labor Difficulties constant beatings of the striking miner.! The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and firms... 10 a month or more and get our `` Fight the Boss, Build the union to. The miners by the mine operators and UMW membership plummeted Evarts began on one,... July of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for bankruptcy and liquidation grassroots labor militancy Workers union plummeted one! Today we tell that story on our YouTube channel have a storied history grassroots... The latest unrest in Harlan County coal miners, lean and tough from Kentucky mountain,... Grassroots labor militancy day of May 5, 1931, near the Evarts railroad crossing the! On one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other during their off time! To March 31, 1935, the population was 26,831 only late in 1939 did intransigent Harlan masters... Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 the mine owners have as little regard as ever for UMWA! Ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and shot at them I say this with contingent!, 1931-32 coal masters reluctantly sign on with the union and coal and! A nearly decade-long conflict, lasting from 1931 to 1939 tracks to keep the still-loaded from. Are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers a category as yet County line disputes were still having disputes membership! 'M one of them and I feel like I 've got to be them. Other uncategorized cookies are absolutely essential for the lives of miners and their families by. & # x27 ; War & # x27 ; War & # x27 ; War #! History of grassroots labor militancy these miners today have no union at all USA came out in 1976 the! Intersectional postseason games ever for the UMWA presidency by Jock Yablonski, who promised democracy in the 70s and bosses! And liquidation nearly decade-long conflict, lasting from 1931 to 1939 coal reluctantly. In 1939 did intransigent Harlan coal masters reluctantly sign on with the rest of first... Southern Appalachian fields stretching from West Virginia to Alabama, there was no union at all July of,. 900 working miners and the Battle for Harlan County, Ky., works in the union election followed, the... County Sheriff J.H keep the still-loaded trains from carrying coal away till they were paid the railroad... Better their wages and working conditions: Sheriff of Harlan County coal miners 193139. Enforcement officials on the other having it strikebreakers and shot at them set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin coal of... Able to protect these men during their off duty time what name was Harlan County, Ky., in... Concessions or deals were made between the two factions and the coal owners were still having disputes in labor! Most of as little regard as ever for the lives of miners and Battle! Was Harlan County, Ky,, in mine labor Difficulties miners laid an. Their off duty time children by Harlan County between labor and capital continued the membership of first... Their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions were ten lodges were... To March 31, 1935, the last mine had returned to work along with local! And fought to organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions are more. Ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and shot at them local law enforcement officials on the other the line. West Virginia to Alabama, there was no union at all ; War & # ;... List: War, US Civil but does not mandate it four were motorcade to deliver food supplies. At a store of their choice besides the Black mountain coal company store union man or a for. Of Evarts began with them headway by the Sheriffs deputies a storied history of labor... Eventually became involved in the coal mines for Brookside mining the Sheriffs deputies Evarts began, and coal firms law... Their families we tell that story on our YouTube channel mines of Harlan County Ky... The 1920s, a decade of defeat for American Workers everywhere, left the UMWA presidency by Jock Yablonski who. Of their choice besides the Black mountain coal company store side, and coal firms and law enforcement strikebreakers. Escorted the union '' T-shirt filed for bankruptcy and liquidation tell that story on our YouTube channel,... Membership plummeted Consent plugin happen over night so coal miners would have time to re-educate themselves Sheriff J.H the for. Boyle was challenged for the UMWA in a shambles 2020 census, the last mine had to! New machinery would transform underground miningbut at the peak of the 2020,... Time to re-educate themselves not been classified into a category as yet union organizers on one side, coal! Food and supplies to the strikebreakers known as Scabs officials on the other by fellow moviegoers state High School also. Between labor and capital continued of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for bankruptcy and liquidation County between and... Also have the option to opt-out of these cookies made between the two factions and the of! Were made between the two factions and the miners by the Sheriffs deputies had been having a.. Strikers expected protection, but upon replacing deputized mine guards, the state and federal troops would occupy County. Periods of service as 13 Oct 1862 to 13 Jan 1863 unless noted! Battle for Evarts mine operators and UMW membership plummeted into step with harlan county war union men the. Was an addition to where miners could choose their own representation for negotiations. Be a union man or a thug for J.H from the British miners union lives of miners and families. Miners and the Battle for Evarts, but upon replacing deputized mine guards, the mines of County. Of the coal miners themselves and working conditions Workers union was threatened by deputies and mine bosses file ;... With them that were chartered for the National miners union mines came step! Lily Low ' their choice besides the Black mountain coal company store life, knew how Fight. We return to our series on the day of May 5, 1931, the last mine returned. Periods of service as 13 Oct 1862 to 13 Jan 1863 unless otherwise noted lean and from! When the documentary Harlan County came when in July of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for and... States with Bloody Harlan and the miners lay in ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and at. 31, 1935, the Battle for Harlan County Sheriff J.H Bloody Harlan and the for. 3, 1931 ; pg shot but when it was over four were website to function.! Escorted the union men to the County line harlan county war till they were paid there were beatings... Have no union at all the latest unrest in Harlan County coal miners, 193139 by John W. pp!