UMW General Coal Strike of 1922

The 1922 UMW Miner strike or The Big Coal Strike[1] was a nationwide general strike of miners in the US & Canada[lower-alpha 1] after the United Mine Worker's (UMW) trade union contract expired on March 31, 1922.[2] The strike decision was ordered March 22[3] to start effective April 1.[4] Around 610,000 mine workers struck.[5][6][7] About 100,000 of the striking miners were non-union or not associated with the UMW.[8]

UMW General Coal Strike of 1922
Part of Coal Wars
Published August, 1922
Picture potentially only illustrative,1912
DateApril 1–September 11, 1922 (100 years ago)
Location
North America
GoalsRenewal of previous contract terms
Resulted inRenewal of previous contract terms
Parties to the civil conflict
Striking coal miners
United Mine Workers
Coal & Mining Industry
Lead figures
Number
~510,000 UMW Miners
~100,000 Non-Union Miners
10,000 UMW Pump Operators

Only 185,000 miners were not on strike; 10,000 of which were union members running the pumps so the mines didn't flood.[5] The Labor World at the time reported the following for many of the states,

"...of the 13,000 Kansas miners, but 1,000 are working...Colorado, also, has a law which outlaws strikes under certain conditions, but only 4,000 of the 19,000 miners before the strike was called are working.

...Pennsylvania reports that not a man of the 155,000 anthracite miners are working, and but 20,000 of the 175,000 bituminous men are working.

Despite the terroristic policy of West Virginia coal owners, and the aid given them by the state, there are 40,000 of the 90,000 coal miners on strike.

The states that report a 100 per cent strike are: Illinois, 90,000 out; Ohio, 50,000 out; Indiana, 3000 out; Iowa, 15,000 out; Montana, 5,000, out; Michigan, 3,000 out.

Wyoming reports 7,000 on strike while 8,000 were employed before the strike. The same situation is reported by Virginia, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and several other states."[9]

New York Times, March 22, 1922
New York Times, March 22, 1922

In June, the connected Herrin mine massacre occurred in Illinois.
A month later, on July 1 the Great Railroad Strike of 1922 started. Political comics from before it's start suggest solidarity between miners and rail workers.

Republished May, 1922 by Labor Age Magazine













Aftermath

A contract was reached on September 2, 1922, it covered members of the UMW extending the agreement terms of the previous contract to August 31,1923. The Federal Coal Commission was also formed as part of the agreement.[10] After ratification, mining resumed on September 11. The general coal strike lasted 163 days.[7] However un-unionized mining workers were not covered by the UMW contract.

After the UMW ended their strike, around 25,000 Windber, Pennsylvania miners[11] continued striking. Until miners voted to end it on August 14, 1923, failing to gain a contract.[2][4]

See also

References
  1. Zimand. "Labor Age". Labor Age. pp. 4–7, 15–17. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  2. https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2CF
  3. "STRIKE ORDER CALLS 600,000 MINERS OUT; VIOLENCE FORBIDDEN; Bituminous and Anthracite Coal Workers Will Quit on April 1. 10,000 TO GUARD MINES Local Unions Are Directed to Leave Force on Duty to Protect Property. HARDING HOPES FOR PEACE Attorney General Hints Government May Intervene--Illinois Leader in Revolt. Maritime Canada Excepted. Text of Strike Order. Cites Referendum Vote. To Protect Mines. Caused No Surprise. Says Men Can Fight Long". The New York Times. 1922-03-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  4. "Coal Strike of 1922".
  5. Humanities, National Endowment for the (August 5, 1922). "The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, August 05, 1922, Image 1" – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  6. "Hellraisers Journal: U. S. Department of Labor Report States 610,000 Coal Miners Are Now Out on Strike Across the Nation – WE NEVER FORGET".
  7. The anthracite strike of 1922, a chronological statement of the communications and negotiations between the hard coal operators and the United Mine Workers of America (PDF). Philadelphia, Pa., The Anthracite Bureau of Information. 1922.
  8. "United Mine Workers journal. v.33 1922". commons.wikimedia.org. 1922. p. 263. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  9. Humanities, National Endowment for the (August 5, 1922). "The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, August 05, 1922, Image 1" – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  10. "United Mine Workers journal. v.33 1922" (PDF). commons.wikimedia.org. p. 420. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  11. Kanarek, Harold K. (1975). "The Pennsylvania Anthracite Strike of 1922". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 99 (2): 207–225 – via JSTOR.

Notes
  1. Excluding Nova Scotia & Newfoundland


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