A 73-year-old Florence Reece attended and led a rousing, emotional rendition of Which Side Are You On?. Madonna left fans speechless as she asked Hollywood pal Amy Schumer how she "licks her husband's a**hole". No concessions were given by the mine operators and UMW membership plummeted. Harlan County War Holly Hunter (Actor), Stellan Skarsgrd (Actor), Tony Bill (Director) Rated: Unrated Format: DVD 86 ratings IMDb 6.4/10.0 Prime Video $2.99 $9.99 DVD from $8.83 VHS Tape $7.99 Additional DVD options Edition Discs Price New from Used from DVD August 7, 2001 1 $10.97 $8.83 DVD $35.83 $35.83 DVD $35.83 $35.83 The Stories podcast uses the following music as its opening and closing themes: I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. They have also been used in anti-nuclear and anti-military actions in decades past, one of which resulted in anti-war veteran Brian Willson losing his legs in 1987. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. They ransacked the whole house and then kept watch outside, waiting to shoot Sam down when he came back. An investigation was conducted on Terrorism in the Kentucky Coal Fields. The local community rallied behind them. You're almost there! "[12][13] He protected the miners despite the fact that a bomb had killed Harlan County Attorney Elmon Middleton several weeks earlier.[14]. Mostly, the miners were fighting for improved working conditions, higher wages, and better housing options for their families. However, after the dust was clear, the anti-labor coal country would end up being represented by unions. The 1973 UMWA Convention in Pittsburgh was a celebration of workers democracy and workers power. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.The age distribution was 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. and the : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener p.47, Which Side Are You On? Coming Soon. They made several attempts at holding strikes against the coal companies, but these failed in Harlan County. Daniels was one of the most hated deputies in the county due to his anti-union views. The mining company had ordered a motorcade to deliver food and supplies to the strikebreakers known as Scabs. Harry Simms, who was a Young Communist League organizer was killed in Harlan. No one knows who fired the first shot but when it was over four were . ECONOMICS. 18. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Finally, in 1939, the coal companies agreed to allow unions in their coal mine operations. By creating an account, you agree to the The 'war' lasted most of. : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener pp.39,40, Which Side Are You On? As discussed in a previous video. Sheriff T. R. Middleton replaced Blair under the pro-union campaign platform. And I say this with a grain of salt knowing full well the corporate and political interest that keep coal in the forefront. Several of the songs on this intense collection were featured in Barbara Kopple's powerful 1976 documentary Harlan County, USA which followed a 13-month United Mine Workers' strike in Harlan County, KY in 1973. They found sympathy there with spurned politicians and business owners who wished to see the company stores vanish.[4]. The union staff, now led by a Montana official, Tony Boyle, encamped in the union offices and rarely ventured into Appalachia, where the depression of the 30s seemed never to have ended. Organizer Garfield Lewis wrote, The people have been so starved out that they are flocking into the Union by the thousands I organized 9 Locals Tuesday.. These charities began to give aid to blacklisted miners who were unable to find employment as the soup kitchens had closed once the NMU had closed its doors. For a long-suffering community in Kentucky, the White House's claim that the war on poverty was won sounds like a cruel joke. The Great Depression of 1929 through the late 1930s hit Harlan County Kentucky. The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139 by John W. Hevener P. 81-123, Which Side Are You On? Managers pleaded guilty to impeding the Mine Safety and Health Administrations enforcement efforts. This was thirteen percent of the workers showing up for their scheduled work times. . New York Times; January 2, 1932; pg. Death tolls because of mining accidents reached 300 a year at the time, and black lung disease killed many more. Middleton, a candidate who ran on a pro-union platform, and who ultimately proved far more corrupt than Blair had been. All rights reserved. On May 5, 1931, the Battle of Evarts began. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/56171 Ft: Aussens@iter (tobias_weber), Gerd Kohlmeier, Audio Podcast WordPress Theme By VWThemes, The Harlan County Coal War (Podcast Episode), The Hatfields and the McCoys: After the Feud, http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/ramblinglibrarian/41284. In June of 1973, workers at the Brookside coal mine in Harlan County, Kentucky voted 113-55 to replace their membership in the Southern Labor Union (SLU) and join the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union. Greene quoted a New York Times story published in 1938: "A Harlan County camp is no weekend resort for sissies." During the 1930s, union suppression and strikes led to violence that went both ways and became known as the Harlan County Wars. In Harlan County there wasn't no neutral. Wanted to be able to spend their money at a store of their choice besides the Black Mountain Coal Company store. The strikers won, but only after 13 months and the murder of a young miner, Lawrence Jones, age 22. Again, Harlan County took center stage, this time at the Brookside Mineexposing, again, the poverty of coal country, as well as the vicious indifference to life of the owners, in this case Duke Power. In "Bloody Harlan" in the 1930s, miners and union organizers faced bayonets and many died fighting the coal bosses, helping to fuel a national wave of organizing. The 1920s, a decade of defeat for American workers everywhere, left the UMWA in a shambles. See production, box office & company info, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. [9] Several events broke the NMU's foothold, local labor organizers, many of them clergy, learned of the Communist leadership's animosity toward religion and denounced the organization, Young Communist League organizer Harry Simms was killed in Harlan and the American Red Cross and local charities, who had been unwilling to take sides in a labor dispute, began giving aid to blacklisted miners who were unemployable as the NMU's financial troubles necessitated the closing of its soup kitchens. It is thought that Middleton was assassinated for backing troops who were present in the County to protect the miners. RM RB64C0 - Harlan & Hollingsworth Company Factory, 100 South West Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, DE. The strikers expected protection but upon replacing deputized mine guards, the National Guard broke the picket lines instead. A Committee was formed and conducted by Activist Theodore Dreiser under the auspices of the National Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners (NCDPP). STRIFE IN KENTUCKY IS LIKENED TO WAR: Investigator Who Was Jailed New York Times. Director Barbara Kopple Stars John L. Lewis (archive footage) Carl Horn : The Harlan County Coal Miners, 193139, by John W. Hevener, page 67, "Witnesses to the Struggle," Anne Loftis, University of Nevada Press, 1998, p. 46, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, "Prepare to Meet Thy God: War in the Harlan County Coal Fields", http://parallelnarratives.com/remembering-bloody-harlan/. Several folk singers and other artists toured the United States to raise money during the strikes. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Harlan was one of about a dozen anti-war activists targeted by the FBI that day; the rest were in Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, California and Wisconsin. [17] The National Guard was once again called in on December 8, 1934, requested by UMW organizers who had been threatened by bosses and deputies. The 1976 documentary film Harlan County, USA, winner of the 1977 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, focuses on similar labor violence of the 1970s but refers to the 1930s violence as context. Mack Elliott worked at one of, Spread the loveDuring the Great Depression jobs were hard to come by. Union members were beaten, their families terrorized. In response to the violence, the Kentucky National Guard was called in. Location Family Members. Mostly, the miners were fighting for improved working conditions, higher wages, and better housing options for their families. November 18, 1931; pg. There were only nine hundred miners working and 5,800 miners were idle and striking during the first strike. The Harlan County Coal Wars 1931-1939 (Complete video) Kentucky Tennessee Living 2.32K subscribers Subscribe 260 Share 9.1K views 1 year ago The Harlan County Coal Wars 1931-1939 We return. In the black-and-white video . The smaller but more passionate NMU made greater relief efforts than the UMW had, opening several soup kitchens throughout the county. It does not store any personal data. On July 7, a group of deputies, enraged at a public celebration of the Wagner Act, dispersed the crowd by beating several miners. No help came to those that were in starving situations due to no money to spend on food and no admittance to the company store unless they were gainfully employed by the coal mine. Director Tony Bill Writer Peter Silverman Stars Holly Hunter Stellan Skarsgrd The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials on the other. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. These battles will end the Coal Wars proper. The song Which Side Are You On? became the anthem of a reborn United Mine Workers (UMWA) union in the 1930s, then an anthem for all workersa reflection of working-class consciousness in the turbulent New Deal years. Cast & Crew Director: Tony Bill Writer: Peter Silverman Starring: Holly Hunter Ted Levine. [5][6] They operated under sheriff J.H. The United Mine Workers of America represented 400,000 miners at that point and promised miners safer work conditions and higher wages. The most memorable of those are 1964, 1966, 1969 (The West Virginia Black Lung strike that the miners won) 1971, and the 1974 Strikes. On July 7, a group of deputies, enraged at a public celebration of the Wagner act, dispersed the crowd by beating several miners. The Brookside strike is vividly recounted in Barbara Kopple's masterpiece, the documentary "Harlan County, USA." NONUNION AND DEADLY Today, U.S. coal comes mostly from the Western plains, dug. Among them is Silas Kincaid (Ted Levine), whose wife, Ruby Kincaid (Holly Hunter), becomes a key player during the strike. After a court order severely restricts the union members' protests, Ruby leads the wives into action, even allowing her arrest to be used as propaganda by union rep Warren Jakopovich (Skarsgard) to her husband's dismay. I have an Associates Degree from Hazard Community College and Technical School. 130-131, TROOPS WATCH AS HARLAN VOTES: Turbulent County Ballots Heavily but New York Times; September 8, 1935; pg. Three company men and one striker were killed in the exchange of gunfire. You have to be on one side or the other. In a very racy Instagram post promoting her new worldwide tour - which will see the pop sensation celebrate four decades of her greatest hits - Madonna turned to Amy to ask her the X-rated question. The coal companies refused to back down from their positions and change anything. Special to The New York Times. Named after the popular Civil War novel, "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," by Kentucky . Even though things were doing better for the unions in Harlan County, there was still civil unrest. Strangers were kidnapped, then lucky if they were just taken to the county line. California labor activist Caroline Decker first became involved in union activities during the Harlan County War, when she and her sister participated in relief activities for striking miners. It began after the mine operators cut wages of miners. Outlining the legal framework for labor unions and management relations to improve the working conditions for workers. Harlan County War (2000) | Holly Hunter | Stellan Skarsgrd | Ted Levine | Full Movie 238,156 views Feb 11, 2022 1.3K Dislike Share Screen Blaze 19.5K subscribers A Kentucky woman whose. The decision caused unrest in the county among the miners. There followed a decade of strikes in the coalfields, often wildcat strikes by some 40,000 young members, many veterans of the war in Vietnam. The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal mining-related skirmishes, executions, bombings, and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky during the 1930s. [5] Those who worked were protected by private mine guards with full county deputy privileges, who were legally able to exercise their powers with impunity outside the walls of their employers. [1] In . 09/16/2018. The troops promptly escorted the union men to the county line. She was the daughter of a Kentucky coal miner and married to Sam Reece, an organizer for the radical National Miners Union, then embroiled in the bloody 1931 Harlan County war. No concessions were given by the mine operators, and UMW membership plummeted. Reacting to the unrest created within Harlan's impoverished labor force, the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) attempted to organize the county's miners. The union, with all that it promised, is gone. Childers, K. (2014). When drafting these articles, I found that many things have not been taught to the future generations about the struggles for coal miner rights have been in the Appalachian Mountains. The Act also made a provision for a National Labor-Relations Board to designate a legal structure for the workers to conduct fair and legal elections of their officers and representatives. This article related to an American television drama film is a stub. [18] As national political support for the NIRA dwindled, capital gained the upper hand, and when the United States Supreme Court struck down the legislation's pro-union National Recovery Administration portion, shops with union presence in Harlan dwindled from eighteen to one. Staff at the Harlan Hotel seemed pleased to show us the bullets still embedded in the failing faade of the aging building. After the Battle of Evarts, the Red Cross and the United Mine Workers Union refused to help the striking men on the basis that it was now an industrial conflict that needed to be resolved internally. [1] Harlan County, Kentucky, is a rural county located in a major coal-mining region in the Appalachian Mountains. Harlan County War Barbara Kopple's 1976 documentary "Harlan County USA" directly inspired this Showtime film depicting a Kentucky coal-miner's wife who gets involved in a strike that turns violent. Special to The New York Times. MINE TRIAL WITNESS TELLS OF WHIPPING: He Asserts Union Men Applied ..; New York Times; December 1, 1931; HARLAN MAN LASHED UNTIL HE COLLAPSED: Witness at Jones Trial Says New York Times (1923-Current file); November 27, 1931; pg. Spread the loveIn 1929 there were textile strikes going on across the southeastern U. S., including at the two mills located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. [4]:47, In the wake of the UMW failure, the Communist National Miners Union (NMU) made a brief play for Harlan County. 13, Which Side Are You On? RMP/jp. Some people say, 'I don't take sides I'm neutral.' Afterward I tore a sheet from a calendar on the wall and wrote the words to 'Which Side Are You On?' On Friday, February 10th, we will be hosting our very first Daddy Daughter Dinner and Dance. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. [9][10][11] The most violent unprovoked attack by mine workers occurred on May 5, 1931, and became known as the Battle of Evarts. 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