Coal and conflict: The UMWA in Harlan County, 1931-1939. Privacy Policy Despite headway by the unions, the battle for Harlan county between labor and capital continued in earnest. Special to The New York Times. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener p. 46, Which Side Are You On? The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal mining-related skirmishes, executions, bombings, and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky during the 1930s. Miners laid in an ambush on the day of May 5, 1931, near the Evarts railroad crossing. Finally, in 1939, the coal companies agreed to allow unions in their coal mine operations. Eight miners were sentenced to life in prison for the actions that were taken on May 5, 1931. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. A 73-year-old Florence Reece attended and led a rousing, emotional rendition of Which Side Are You On?. Sheriff T. R. Middleton replaced Blair under the pro-union campaign platform. Alas, catastrophe awaited, this time in the booming 50s. If you wasn't a gun thug, you was a union man. 130-131, TROOPS WATCH AS HARLAN VOTES: Turbulent County Ballots Heavily but New York Times; September 8, 1935; pg. The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139 by John W. Hevener P. 81-123, Which Side Are You On? Childers, K. (2014). : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener p.79, JOHN HENRY BLAIR. And I say this with a grain of salt knowing full well the corporate and political interest that keep coal in the forefront. 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. Harlan County War (2000) is a television film directed by Tony Bill and written by Peter Silverman. Harlan County Courthouse 706 W. 2nd Street Alma, NE 68920 Phone: 308.928.2173 Harlan County Website . [2] It is classified as a moist county a county in which alcohol sales are prohibited (a dry county ), but containing a "wet" city, in this case Cumberland, where package alcohol sales are allowed. Only to be escorted to the county line and told not to return. ' Harlan County War' premieres on the SHOWTIME cable network June 4. On May 5, 1931, the Battle of Evarts began. Harlan County USA is a 1976 documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple that chronicles a coal miners' strike in Harlan County, Kentucky. [9] Several events broke the NMU's foothold, local labor organizers, many of them clergy, learned of the Communist leadership's animosity toward religion and denounced the organization, Young Communist League organizer Harry Simms was killed in Harlan and the American Red Cross and local charities, who had been unwilling to take sides in a labor dispute, began giving aid to blacklisted miners who were unemployable as the NMU's financial troubles necessitated the closing of its soup kitchens. Lastminute.com currently has Malta and Cyprus holidays from 95 - including flights. [13], In the wake of the UMW failure, the openly Communist National Miners' Union (NMU) made a brief play for Harlan County. Marker is on Kentucky Route 3001, 0.1 miles north of U.S. 421, on the left when traveling west. In response, the coal owners and operators decided to sell their fuel at below cost to increase the national dependency on coal. Three Harlan County incorporated towns were not owned by the coal mines, they became a sanctuary for the evicted and starving miners. 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. The latest unrest in Harlan County came when in July of 2019, Black jewel LLC filed for bankruptcy and liquidation. Outlining the legal framework for labor unions and management relations to improve the working conditions for workers. [4] Only three of Harlan's incorporated towns were not owned by mines, and hungry and evicted workers and their families sought refuge in them, primarily in the town of Evarts. 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 county became nationally famous in 1931 and 1932 when it was the site of one of the earliest and bloodiest labor battles of the decade. I Really Hate My Job (DVD, 2008) Neve Campbell . "Fight the Boss, Build the Union" T-shirt. Mabel-Canton, Minn. 57, Postville 47. The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal industry skirmishes, executions, bombings and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky, during the 1930s. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Coming Soon. Regal No one knows who fired the first shot but when it was over four were . We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. November 18, 1931; pg. You have to be on one side or the other. Terms and Policies I have also attended the University of Pikeville. (Florence Reece appears in the film.) New York Times (1923-Current file); October 3, 1931; pg. [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. ; September 28, 1931; pg. [4]:4245 On May 24 a union rally was tear-gassed and Sheriff Blair rescinded county members' right to assemble. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. You're almost there! [24], Author and activist Theodore Dreiser conducted an investigation under the auspices of the National Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners (NCDPP) of the American Communist Party. 42-45, Which Side Are You On? I have attended the University of Kentucky. New York Times; January 2, 1932; pg. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener pp.39,40, Which Side Are You On? 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. : Sheriff of Harlan County, Ky,, in Mine Labor Difficulties. They made several attempts at holding strikes against the coal companies, but these failed in Harlan 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. The local community rallied behind them. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Currently you are able to watch "Harlan County War" streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 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. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. Wanted to be able to spend their money at a store of their choice besides the Black Mountain Coal Company store. In the 1930s the Harlan County coal war, also referred to as Bloody Harlan, occurred. 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. Nearly everyone in Harlan County, Ky., works in the coal mines for Brookside Mining. There's no such thing as neutral. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. [15] The 1976 documentary film Harlan County, USA, winner of the 1977 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, focuses on similar labor violence of the 1970s but refers to the 1930s violence as context. By June 17, the last mine had returned to work. 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. But he didn't come home that night. Cal Winslow is the author of Radical Seattle: The General Strike of 1919, forthcoming from Monthly Review Press. They exercised their powers with impunity and operated under Sheriff J.H. John Henry "J.H." Blair (1879 - 1934) was the sherrif of Harlan County, Kentucky during the Harlan County War, which was a series of coal mining-related skirmishes, executions, bombings, and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky during the 1930s. In Pennsylvania and Ohio it had collapsed. Middleton died on the scene. It outlawed yellow-dog contracts, company unions, blacklists, and discrimination on basis of union activity, all tactics employed by coal companies. Miners also wanted the right to organize and have a union. Harlan County Photographs Jan 1935-June 1944 (Source: Photogrammar) Harlan County, Harlan America from the Great Depression to World War II (Source: American Memory from the Library of Congress) Harlan County, Pine Mountain America from the Great Depression to World War II (Source: American Memory from the Library of Congress) Horace H Bleecker . Director Barbara Kopple Stars John L. Lewis (archive footage) Carl Horn The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other. . Today, U.S. coal comes mostly from the Western plains, dug out by huge earth-moving machinery and carried to the coasts on mile-long, dust-spewing trains. Organizers were shot at, their homes gassed. [4]:32. In your mind you're on one side or the other. One of the Deputies was Jim Daniels. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener pp. Wages at these mines came into step with the rest of the nation. The 1920s, a decade of defeat for American workers everywhere, left the UMWA in a shambles. [4]:5688 Their attempts at strikes, while weak in surrounding counties, were utter failures in Harlan, where only a fraction of the workforce walked out in 1931 and 1932. Their foothold there ultimately ended because the local clergy who were the labor organizers found out that the union was communist in nature and held animosity toward religion. 18. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Harlan Campbell Jr - Trap Shooting My Way DVD at the best online prices at eBay! New York Times September 29, 1931; pg. Parents. There were only nine hundred miners working and 5,800 miners were idle and striking during the first strike. A series of strikes, bombings and gun battles between striking miners and coal company guards, it lasted from 1931-1939 and established the UMW in eastern Kentucky, as well and giving birth to the labor song "Which Side Are You On?" Adventures of Brisco County, Jr The Complete Series DVD Western Comedy Campbell . . Harlan County War TV Movie 2000 1 h 44 m IMDb RATING 6.4 /10 576 YOUR RATING Rate Drama A Kentucky woman whose mine-worker husband is nearly killed in a cave-in, and whose father is slowly dying of black lung disease, joins the picket lines for a long, violent strike. Blair, in search of her husband. It does not store any personal data. After a court order severely restricts the union members' protests, Ruby leads the wives into action, even allowing her arrest to be used as propaganda by union rep Warren Jakopovich (Skarsgard) to her husband's dismay. A UMWA organizer who welcomed us displayed a revolver on the dashboard of his car. The Seco Train Accident September 20, 1917, New Bank in the Coal Country Installed in 1911, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Evarts, https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/new-deal/national-industrial-recovery-act-of-1933/, https://pipiwiki.com/wiki/Battle_of_Evarts, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County_War, https://labornotes.org/blogs/2019/08/brief-history-harlan-county-usa, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-wagner-act-of-1935-national-labor-relations-act-2060509#:~:text=%20The%20Wagner%20Act%20defines%20and%20prohibits%20five,or%20administration%20of%20a%20labor%20organization.%20More%20, https://www.nytimes.com/1935/09/05/archives/bomb-in-auto-kills-kentucky-official-harlan-county-attorney.html#:~:text=HARLAN%2C%20Ky.%2C%20Sept.%204%20%28AP%29.%20%20The%20death,his%20automobile.%20View%20Full%20Article%20in%20Timesmachine%20%C2%BB, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70804679/elmon-clay-middleton, https://www.nytimes.com/1935/09/06/archives/kentucky-holds-four-in-auto-bomb-killing-harlan-prosecutors-death.html, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/?fbclid=IwAR21nYphw4Dul-_EwuAmSWgzsvPLNwsMM0FtV75j0y-mGUHq-lCZjJxZot8, The Flatwoods Monster: Weird Appalachia Cases, Rotherwood Mansion: Weird Appalachia Cases, The Brown Mountain Ghostly Lights: Weird Appalachia Cases. On Friday, February 10th, we will be hosting our very first Daddy Daughter Dinner and Dance. [25] Also, during the strike Florence Reece, wife of organizer Sam Reece, wrote the labor standard "Which Side Are You On? Lexington: University of Kentucky. Others claim that his death was caused by an election concerning slot machines into the county. Mostly, the miners were fighting for improved working conditions, higher wages, and better housing options for their families. The median age was 38 years. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. of L. Unionizing By LOUIS STARK. Memorials. Harlan County is well-known in folk and country music, having produced many prominent musicians. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. It began after the mine operators cut wages of miners. Cinemark The film, which stars Holly Hunter, Kaminski's wife, is a fictional drama about a coal miner's wife who spearheads a year-long labor strike, and is set against the historical background of the 1970's Harlan County coal 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. In Harlan County on July 7, 1935, during a celebration of the Wagner Act, a group of disgruntled deputies severely beat up several miners and dispersed the crowd. Today we tell that story on our YouTube channel. TUI has a huge sale on holidays from 236pp including Greece, Spain and Portugal. He hired two drifters in a Cleveland bar and on New Years Eve, they murdered Yablonksi, his wife, and his daughter in their beds. and the On July 1, Blackjewel LLC abruptly shut down its six Harlan mines, filed bankruptcy, and sent the miners home without pay. This was thirteen percent of the workers showing up for their scheduled work times. The miners lay in ambush for cars carrying company men, and shot at them. On May 24, 1931, Sheriff Blair rescinded the miners right to assemble and tear-gassed a union rally. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The miners lay in ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and shot at them. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century RM RB64C0 - Harlan & Hollingsworth Company Factory, 100 South West Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, DE. It is thought that Middleton was assassinated for backing troops who were present in the County to protect the miners. [5][6] They operated under sheriff J.H. In 1959 when Lewis retired, the union had been reduced to 180,000 members, and the southern coalfields, Harlan included, were non-union once again. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. The union staff, now led by a Montana official, Tony Boyle, encamped in the union offices and rarely ventured into Appalachia, where the depression of the 30s seemed never to have ended. The Harlan County Wars took on its own epic spin on the ongoing fight between labor disputes and the coal operators and owners lasting almost ten years. 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