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Chronology of the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902
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| 1890 |
formation
of the United Mine Workers of America |
| 1894 |
unsuccessful
UMW-led strike in the bituminous coal fields |
| 1897 |
successful
UMW-led coal strike in the bituminous coal fields |
The 1897 bituminous coal
strike had several results:
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| 1 |
The
strike resulted in an "interstate joint conference" in which the bituminous
operators and the miners cooperated to stabilize labor costs, and to improve wages and
working conditions. |
| 2 |
The
strike greatly enhanced the UMW. It grew from less than 10,000 members before the strike
to become the nation's largest trade union, with over 100,000 members. |
| 3 |
The
bituminous coal operators in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois recognized the UMW
as the representative of the miners and their bargaining agent. |
| 1898 |
John
Mitchell, a bituminous miner from Illinois, elected president of the UMW |
| 1900 |
Mitchell tried to
bargain with the anthracite coal operators of northeastern Pennsylvania for a similar
settlement that would recognize the union and improve wages, hours, and working conditions
for the anthracite miners |
| 1900 |
The anthracite coal
operators refused to negotiate, and on September 17 Mitchell called a strike of
the anthracite miners. Those miners responded almost to a man. The strike was settled
when representatives of Mark Hanna,
the Chairman of the Republican Party and a bituminous operator from Ohio, urged
representatives of J.P. Morgan, whose bank was reorganizing the railroads that owned most
of the anthracite coal mines, to settle; and representatives of President William McKinley urged the
anthracite operators themselves to settle. Neither Morgan, the operators, Hanna, nor
McKinley wanted the strike to interfere with McKinley's reelection. |
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The
anthracite operators viewed the events as a defeat, and one that was dictated to them by
political motivations. |
| The
result was a settlement that granted the anthracite miners a wage increase of about ten
per cent, but which did not recognize the UMW as their representative |
Events of 1902
| June 2 |
Anthracite coal
strike officially began |
| July |
Newspapers began to
report incidents of violence in the mining region |
| July 30 |
A storeowner was
beaten to death by a mob while a deputy sheriff was escorting two miners who refused to
join the strike. The Pennsylvania Governor began to call out militia to guarantee order. |
| August 21-30 |
Press commentary on
letter by George F. Baer |
| October |
Growing fear of a
"coal famine" as winter approached |
| October 3 |
Roosevelt invited
UMW leaders and operators to a White House conference |
| October 6 |
Entire Pennsylvania
militia ordered to duty; eventually 8,750 men served in the anthracite fields |
| October 8 |
Miners at mass
meetings voted unanimously to continue the strike, belying the operators' assertions that,
if given police protection, the majority of miners would go back to work |
| October 12 |
J.P. Morgan pressed
George Baer to agree to arbitration of the strike |
| October 13 |
Roosevelt discussed
with General John M. Schofield having he U.S. Army seize the coal mines and operate them
until such time as the owners agreed to arbitration |
| October 14 |
J.P. Morgan met with
Roosevelt regarding arbitration |
| October 16 |
Roosevelt announced
the appointment of a commission to arbitrate the dispute |
| October 23 |
Miners returned to
work |
| October 24 |
Arbitration
commission met with Roosevelt |
| "The Anthracite
Strike of 1902: A Record of Confusion" by Robert H. Wiebe, The Mississippi Valley
Historical Review, Vol. 48, No. 2(Sep.1961), pp. 229-251. This magazine is available
on J-Stor through the University Library home page (do not try to
access it with a modem, the graphics are too intensive) and it is available in the History
Reading Room on the 2nd floor of the Main Library under the call number F351
M68. |
| William H. Harbaugh, The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt (New York: Oxford University Press, 1975):
165-79 is an account of the 1902 strike. This book and a copy of the chapter are on
reserve in the Main Library for the Autumn 1999 quarter. |
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