Rifles and Machineguns Seized from Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Coal Miners Strike of 1912

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3 Comments

Rolando@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 2y (1 reply)

This was only a couple generations removed from us. Like, my grandfather was a kid (elsewhere) when this happened.

The picture of the guns makes it look like a primary armed rebellion but apparently it was initially peaceful, and when state troops intervened, they confiscated guns from both strikers and the "armed guards" sent to break the strike.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Creek%E2%80%93Cabin_Creek_strike_of_1912

The union called a strike for April 18, 1912.[4] Their demands were:

  1. That the operators accept and recognize the union.

  2. That the miners' right to free speech and peaceable assembly be restored.

  3. That black-listing discharged workers be stopped.

  4. That compulsory trading at company stores be ended.

  5. That cribbing be discontinued and that 2,000 pounds of mined coal constitute a ton. That scales be installed at mines to weigh the tonnage of the miners.

  6. That miners be allowed to employ their own check-weighmen to check against the weights found by company check-weighmen, as provided by law.

  7. That the two check-weighmen determine all docking penalties.

TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y

Oh my god is this why American tons are 2000lbs for some fucking reason? Because that has NEVER made sense to me

rockmeat@feddit.de · 6 pts · 2y

Nice arrangement! Shame they didn't get to fulfill their purpose