Warrior Met Bides Time While UMWA Continues to Support the Fight

This union fight in Alabama has been going on for 15 months. At its base, this fight is about two very different ways of seeing the world and deciding whether people or profits are more important. Remaining out on strike for 15 months is a faith journey.
 

Workers' Solidarity

We began this blog with a quote from "Out of this Furnace" by Thomas Bell, still one of the best works of fiction written about working-class life. The graphics below tell a story of unions ad working-class life.

  

From the Teamsters Union.

Billy Bragg -There Is Power In A Union

The text reads:

On this date in 1933 (Sunday), Barney Graham, United Mine Workers President and Socialist, was shot dead in front of the Wilder Company Store. Shorty Green and Doc Thompson used a machine-gun borrowed from the 109th Cav of the Tennessee National Guard which they also held off Sheriffs Deputies of Fentress County with for over four hours. This was in retaliation for Graham supposedly being an Influencer in the murder of George and Floyd Winningham. The Miners of Wilder had no way to fight back after having all their firearms confiscated in August of 1932 by the Guardsmen.

Two Great Film Scenes From "Matewan," A Quote From Mother Jones, And Lots More

 

May (Mother) Jones was an Irish Catholic, a union organizer, a socialist, and a humanitarian. She was often inspired by her understanding of scripture, and her life was a work of faith.

Sid Hatfield, portrayed above in John Sayles movie "Matewan," was a pro-union sheriff in Matewan, West Virginia at a time when mine workers were fighting hard for their human rights and union representation. He was assassinated on August 1, 1921 by gun thugs who had the support of the coal operators and corrupt politicians.

Gene Autry's famous song about Mother Jones is here.

Del McCoury's recently released song about Sid Hatfield is here.      

For more information on Mother Jones, please go to the Mother Jones Museum.

For more information on the Matewan Massacre and the West Virginia Mine Wars, please go to the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum.

Please support these efforts with donations or by purchasing something from them.

 

Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, talking about the Matewqan massacre in 2020.

People Of Faith--Please Buy Union-Made Products & Check Out Grays Harbor Stamp Works

I hope that everyone who hits this blog believes that social justice, faith, and religion/spirituality go together or that you're at least open to thinking about that. We try to be a place for working-class spirituality, encouragement, rest between our battles, and comfort food. There are short pieces here on why we ask people to boycott Wendy's, on what the Catholic Labor Network is doing, and on the coal miners and the United Mine Workers of America. We feature Bishop William Barber and the Poor People's Campaign and we fully support the Campaign. There is quite a bit of union information here if you look for it.

Many people of faith can do something for social justice that's very easy and very important---buy union-made products whenever you can, get all of your printed materials and advertising and supplies from union-represented companies, and don't do business with companies that tread on worker's rights and treat workers unfairly. People of faith can join boycotts and picketlines just as anyone else can, but people of faith can also bring a special message with them when they participate. Look what an alliance of faith and labor people is doing in Portland here. 

Has anyone ever surveyed how many people sitting or standing next to them in your mosque, synagogue, or church are union members? Almost all of our religious and spiritual institutions support organized labor on paper. Do you ever hear a call to live that? 

The Grays Harbor Stamp Works company is a great union-represented company to deal with in our region. This is a third-generation family-owned and operated business that was started in 1916. They do union-printed bumper stickers, union-printed coffee mugs, union-printed decals, ink pens, lapel pins, and many more items. And you can work with them over the phone and by e-mail no matter where you are. When you deal with a company like this you're putting dollars into our regional economy (instead of giving your money to a multinational corporation) and you're supporting folks who get paid a living wage and who have job benefits and a future with some promise in it.

I was in a church group meeting last night and we were talking about helping folks who really need help. That's our responsibility. We call that solidarity. But I got to thinking today about a time when I did body searches after a flood in West Virginia. On the one hand, you don't want to find bodies because that's a tragic situation. On the other hand, you know that someone is missing a loved one and you want to help. But the real solution would be walking up the river and stopping the flood. It's the same with solidarity---we would not have so much poverty and so many houseless people if we had good union jobs and an economy that worked for everyone. 

Please give Grays Harbor Stamp Works a try with your next printing or promotional job.

I contacted them because I wanted some of these button that they made:

I hope that you will join me in supporting our sisters and brothers who work on the docks and in the warehouses.

So, please look for a union label when you're shopping. Here's a sample union label:

 


 

Supporting Our Sisters & Brothers In Alabama---Please Help.