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. The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other. The Harlan County coal miners campaigned and fought to organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions. It was a nearly decade-long conflict, lasting from 1931 to 1939. 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.
During the Battle for Blair Mountain a decade earlier, The US Army dropped chemical weaponry left over from The Great War onto striking miners at the behest of coal bosses, they also employed machine guns and armored cars in an attempt to eradicate every last one of them.
They hired actual mercenaries to evict strikers and literally burned the possessions of the evicted in giant piles in the middle of the streets.
What were the supposed crimes of these striking miners you ask? The desire to be paid in US legal tender instead of imaginary bullshit company tokens which could only be spent at the company store which was already marked up substantially to ensure the company always got its money back.
Housing was also controlled by the company as-well. Membership of a union was grounds for immediate termination, which in turn meant immediate eviction.
Workers would very frequently work upwards of 90+ hours a week, sometimes 20+ hours in a single shift.
Never forget the sacrifices made to get to where we are today, and always remember that without unions and accountability, your job would kill you to save a few cents. You are nothing to them, a speck on the ass of a fly completely devoid of value beyond your labor.
Which side are you on, boys. Which side are you on
TheMegaBite7 on November 26th, 2023 at 01:46 UTC »
From Wikipedia:
ShadyBassMan on November 26th, 2023 at 02:35 UTC »
You’ll never leave Harlan alive.
Mrthuglink on November 26th, 2023 at 03:05 UTC »
During the Battle for Blair Mountain a decade earlier, The US Army dropped chemical weaponry left over from The Great War onto striking miners at the behest of coal bosses, they also employed machine guns and armored cars in an attempt to eradicate every last one of them.
They hired actual mercenaries to evict strikers and literally burned the possessions of the evicted in giant piles in the middle of the streets.
What were the supposed crimes of these striking miners you ask? The desire to be paid in US legal tender instead of imaginary bullshit company tokens which could only be spent at the company store which was already marked up substantially to ensure the company always got its money back.
Housing was also controlled by the company as-well. Membership of a union was grounds for immediate termination, which in turn meant immediate eviction.
Workers would very frequently work upwards of 90+ hours a week, sometimes 20+ hours in a single shift.
Never forget the sacrifices made to get to where we are today, and always remember that without unions and accountability, your job would kill you to save a few cents. You are nothing to them, a speck on the ass of a fly completely devoid of value beyond your labor.
Which side are you on, boys. Which side are you on