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established. Employers agreed to pay for training safety committee members, quarterly mine-safety inspections conducted by UMWA, work clothing and safety equipment such as goggles. The agreement was ratified by 56 percent of the membership, which was a relatively narrow vote. Retired miners were particularly unhappy that their benefits were now lower than those offered to younger miners.
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demanded an end to wildcat strikes. Employer contributions to UMWA's health and pension plans were dependent on the amount of coal mined. Wildcat strikes significantly reduced the tonnage mined, and reduced the revenues flowing into the UMWA health and pension plans. The employers argued they should not make higher payments to offset the effect of the wildcat strikes.
391:
bargaining council and member ratification. Wildcat strikes had become common in the coal industry as union miners grew frustrated with what they saw as poor terms of national contracts and employer foot-dragging on resolving disputes and grievances. Miller hoped that these democratic reforms would decrease the number of wildcat strikes.
390:
Miller initiated several democratic reforms which affected the renegotiation of the national coal collective bargaining agreement. UMWA's bargaining demands were now set by a 36-member bargaining council rather than the president and his aides. Tentative agreements now were subject to approval by the
443:
However, in a larger sense, the contract was a failure. The union members' unhappiness with the new collective bargaining agreement led to a continuing wave of wildcat strikes. Miller's democratic reforms had energized his critics and decentralized the union so that unity was now much more difficult
373:
to investigate. Boyle, who had been plotting
Yablonski's murder since June 1969, used $ 20,000 in union funds to pay three men to kill Yablonski. Yablonski, his wife and 25-year-old daughter were murdered in their home on December 31, 1969. A reform movement, Miners for Democracy (MFD), arose within
410:
Angered by the council's continuing demands for improvements, Miller declared he would not seek additional economic concessions from the employers but only non-economic improvements. National stockpiles of coal were somewhat high, so a winter-time heating crisis never emerged. However, the ongoing
439:
The 1974 agreement was the richest contract in UMWA history. Miners received a 54 percent wage-and-benefit increase over three years. A cost-of-living clause, the first in the union's history, was also included. Vacation days rose from 20 to 30 days a year, and five days of "personal leave" also
430:
injunction against the union to force the miners back to work. This pressure brought about a settlement on
December 10, 1974. Miller was able to overcome bargaining council opposition to the tentative agreement by arguing that members alone should have the final say on the pact. The contract was
402:
Employers were willing to make concessions on wages and benefits. Workers in other basic industries such as steel and automobile manufacturing were making much more money than coal miners, even though their occupations were not nearly as dangerous to health or safety. However, the mine operators
394:
UMWA's collective bargaining demands included a 40 percent wage and benefit increase, significantly stronger health and safety language, five days of guaranteed sick leave each year, and higher employer contributions to the union's health and pension funds. Anticipating a long strike, Miller and
346:
Since the 1940s, the United Mine
Workers of America (UMWA) had negotiated a nationwide National Coal Wage Agreement with the Bituminous Coal Operators Association (BCOA), a group of large coal mine operators. The three-year agreements covered national bargaining issues such as wages, health and
406:
No new agreement was reached when the 1971 agreement expired, and UMWA struck on
November 12, 1974. A tentative agreement was rejected twice by UMWA's bargaining council—once prior to and once during the strike.
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pension benefits, workplace health and safety, and work rules. Local agreements, far more limited in scope, were negotiated by each individual local affiliate of UMWA.
191:
98:
453:
299:
691:
197:
142:
676:
600:
Gestreicher, Richard. "Book
Reviews: The Miners' Fight for Democracy: Arnold Miller and the Reform of the United Mine Workers, By Paul F. Clark."
311:
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to achieve. The number of wildcat strikes only increased through 1976, driving away many potential members and slowing organizing growth.
91:
266:
666:
382:, was elected the new president of UMWA. (Boyle and eight others were convicted of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 1974.)
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340:
260:
250:
172:
84:
56:
125:
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UMWA. The federal government overturned the election in 1971, and ordered a new election to be held in
December 1972.
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UMWA had been rocked by internal turmoil since the previous national agreement had been negotiated in 1971. President
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270:
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on-hand. These factors kept the union's negotiating position strong despite the two contract rejections.
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Federal government officials, however, intervened to push UMWA to accept the next contract. President
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narrowly approved, but only after heavy lobbying by Miller administration officials.
396:
379:
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336:
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555:, December 3, 1979; Gestreicher, "Book Reviews: The Miners' Fight for Democracy..."
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to discuss strike tactics with the militant leaders of the
British coal unions.
362:
329:
635:
415:
had greatly enhanced the demand for coal, and steel and iron makers had few
162:
108:
607:
Navarro, Peter. "Union
Bargaining Power in the Coal Industry, 1945-1981."
639:
551:, December 12, 1977; "A Very Different Kind of Leader of the UMW,"
504:
Navarro, "Union
Bargaining Power in the Coal Industry, 1945-1981,"
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had rigged the 1969 UMWA presidential election against challenger
343:. It is generally considered a successful strike by the union.
80:
76:
672:
Labor disputes led by the United Mine
Workers of America
586:
Dewar, Helen. "Unit Recesses Without Vote on UMW Pact."
44:
34:
26:
21:
517:Dewar, "Unit Recesses Without Vote on UMW Pact,"
628:"A Very Different Kind of Leader of the UMW."
547:, June 30, 1975; "The Coal Miners Walk Out,"
369:. Yablonski lost the election, but asked the
92:
8:
662:Miners' labor disputes in the United States
593:"A Falling Out Among the UMW's Reformers."
543:"A Falling Out Among the UMW's Reformers,"
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469:
99:
85:
77:
18:
687:December 1974 events in the United States
682:November 1974 events in the United States
500:
498:
465:
454:UMW Bituminous coal strike of 1977–1978
609:Industrial and Labor Relations Review.
506:Industrial and Labor Relations Review
7:
30:November 12, 1974-December 10, 1974
692:1970s strikes in the United States
395:other key union officials visited
14:
371:United States Department of Labor
638:
677:1974 labor disputes and strikes
22:1974 UMW Bituminous coal strike
341:United Mine Workers of America
326:Bituminous coal strike of 1974
1:
614:"Still in a Hole with Coal."
488:"Still in a Hole with Coal,"
572:"The Coal Miners Walk Out."
579:"Coal's Chilling Strike."
475:"Coal's Chilling Strike,"
708:
354:
351:Murder and turmoil in UMWA
667:1974 in the United States
300:US Bituminous coal strike
294:US Bituminous coal strike
261:Indiana bituminous strike
116:
49:
16:United States coal strike
239:Battle of Blair Mountain
646:Organized labour portal
367:Joseph "Jock" Yablonski
312:Warrior Met Coal strike
271:Columbine Mine massacre
251:UMW General Coal Strike
231:West Virginia coal wars
218:Hartford coal mine riot
621:"Turmoil in the UMW."
530:"Turmoil in the UMW,"
426:threatened to bring a
328:was a 28-day national
245:Alabama miners' strike
204:Colorado Coalfield War
173:Anthracite coal strike
143:Bituminous coal strike
126:Mahoning Valley strike
602:Pennsylvania History.
167:Carterville Mine Riot
557:Pennsylvania History
479:, November 18, 1974.
306:Pittston Coal strike
267:Colorado Coal Strike
198:Paint Creek mine war
179:Carbon county strike
534:, January 31, 1977.
521:, February 8, 1978.
492:, December 2, 1974.
192:Westmoreland strike
583:November 18, 1974.
576:December 12, 1977.
155:Illinois coal wars
632:December 3, 1979.
625:January 31, 1977.
618:December 2, 1974.
590:February 8, 1978.
321:
320:
277:Harlan County War
235:Battle of Matewan
149:Lattimer massacre
132:Morewood massacre
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74:
71:
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643:
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588:Washington Post.
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535:
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509:
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493:
486:
480:
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428:Taft-Hartley Act
357:Joseph Yablonski
281:Battle of Evarts
159:Battle of Virden
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87:
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65:Mining Companies
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604:49 (July 1982).
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519:Washington Post
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508:, January 1983.
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417:coking supplies
413:1973 oil crisis
411:effects of the
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378:, a miner from
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322:
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255:Herrin massacre
208:Ludlow Massacre
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12:
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630:Business Week.
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623:Business Week.
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597:June 30, 1975.
595:Business Week.
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355:Main article:
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212:The 10-Day War
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138:Coal Creek War
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611:January 1983.
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553:Business Week
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545:Business Week
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532:Business Week
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397:Great Britain
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380:West Virginia
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376:Arnold Miller
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337:United States
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288:1940s – 2020s
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225:1920s – 1930s
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120:1870s – 1900s
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39:United States
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559:, July 1982.
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567:Works cited
424:Gerald Ford
363:W. A. Boyle
339:led by the
279:1931–1939 (
157:1898–1900 (
656:Categories
460:References
269:1927–28 (
233:1912–21 (
206:1913–14 (
163:Pana riot
109:Coal Wars
448:See also
435:Contract
35:Location
335:in the
314:2021–23
308:1989–90
302:1977–78
194:1910–11
181:1903–04
45:Parties
386:Strike
333:strike
253:1922 (
616:Time.
581:Time.
574:Time.
186:1910s
549:Time
490:Time
477:Time
330:coal
324:The
296:1974
263:1927
247:1920
220:1914
200:1912
175:1902
151:1897
145:1894
134:1891
128:1873
27:Date
57:UMW
658::
497:^
468:^
237:,
210:,
165:,
161:,
283:)
273:)
257:)
241:)
214:)
169:)
100:e
93:t
86:v
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