Democracy In District 12

The formation of the Progressive Miners of America was not a knee-jerk response to to a perceived injustice. On the contrary, Illinois District 12 wrestled with John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers International for years prior to the the PMA split.


Upon assuming office in 1920, John L. Lewis pushed to centralize the union power under the international. As the strongest district, Illinois District 12 struggled to maintain autonomy against Lewis' designs. In 1929, Lewis and the International were even served an injunction prohibiting interference in District 12 affairs.

Democracy wasn't restored District 12 members until 1959 with the passage of the Landrum-Griffin Act. Perhaps coincidentally, Lewis resigned in January, 1960.

Thanks to Lisa Andrews of UMWA District 12 for supplementing my research on this issue.

Resisting Occupation

Taylorville, IL was occupied by the state militia under martial law from September, 1932 through March, 1933. While the stated purposed was to quell violence, repeated bombings and murders occurred during that occupation.

To the PMA and its supporters, the role of the state militia was quite clear; support Peabody Coal and the United Mine Workers and break the strike. Although state government claimed to be non-partisan in the dispute between the unions, its disruption of PMA picket lines and protection of imported strike breakers clearly demonstrated which side state government supported.

While the bloody intervention of state or federal troops on behalf of business interests is an all-too-common story in U.S. labor history, formal opposition to such action by local government is far from ordinary.

After more than a month of oppressive occupation, the Illinois State Journal noted:

"October 17, 1932 - The local city council, at a special meeting tonight, took action to curb through legal channels activities of Illinois National Guard units stationed in the Christian county mining area.

The resolution was presented following the reading of a 4,000-word opinion written by City Attorney Leal W. Reese which cited legal restrictions placed upon the soldiers and declared that men have a right to resist to the extreme attempts made to arrest them illegally.

The opinion declared that military men on duty to quell civil disturbances 'cannot do anything which other peace officers cannot do that they cannot arrest without warrants nor hold prisoners without preferring immediate charges.' The opinion further declared the military authorities have no right to molest peaceable persons on the street nor in public places. It held also that any person thus 'illegally arrested, abused, or assaulted has the right to resist the arrest with force." (emphasis added)

You may recall an earlier entry on the bombing of Mr. Reese's home. His actions to restore civil liberties in Taylorville help explain why he became a target in the mine war.