Clear Fork Branch request

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Gordon,

It is a long involved story that probably began in 1933 with the National 
Recovery Act and I haven't researched it.

The short version is:

In 1946 the mine operators and United Mine Workers couldn't agree on a new 
contract.  When there was no new contract on April 1 the union walked off 
the job.  They went back to work for a brief period of time.  On May 21, 
1946 the President of the United States directed the Secretary of Interior 
to take possession of the mines on behalf of the Federal Government.  A Coal 
Mines Administration was created similar to one that had been created in 
July 1943 t handle a similar coal production crisis.  An Admiral from the 
U.S. Navy was selected as the Coal Mines Administrator.  Approximately 3,350 
bituminous coal mines were siezed by the government.  Normally this meant 
the U.S. Navy advised the coal operators the Navy was in charge, but 
everyone should keep on working.

The Dept. of Interior, assisted by the U.S. Navy negotiated a contract with 
the United Mine Workers which was signed on May 29, 1946 in the White House. 
In March 1947 the U.S. Navy still retained control of approximately 2,350 
mines.

The Carter Coal Company of Coalwood had steadfastly refused to sign a 
contract with the UMWA since 1933.  Their issue was the closed shop.  They 
generally abided by all the agreements of  the union contract other than the 
closed shop.

Homer Hickman, Sr.  wrote a short history of Coalwood where he noted on 
Janaury 1, 1947 the US Navy took over the property of the Carter Coal 
Company.  All of the Carter Coal Company employees were terminated and 
placeded on a different payroll.  A complete inventory and appraisal was 
taken by independent auditors.  Upon completion of the inventory the mine 
was put back in production.  The Navy let the same people who had been 
operating the mine to continue to operate it. Hickman noted that whenever 
there was a grievance between the miners and maangers that they couldn't 
settle, the miners would take it to the Navy who generally agreed with the 
miners.

The Navy took over the Coalwood Clubhouse as living quarters and there were 
a number of officers and enlisted men on the mine premises.  The Navy 
operate the mine for six months which was all that was allowed under the war 
time act.  They then reinventoried all of the mne assets and returned the 
propery back to the Carter Coal Company.  Carter offered all of the men 
their old jobs back, but the uniuon refused to work without a signed 
contract.  In November 1947 Carter Coal Comapny sold their Coalwood works to 
Youngstown Sheet and Tool Company who operated the mines as the Olga mines.

This is the story about the Clear Fork Branch, but there were at least 
another 100 coal mining companies in McDowell County, WV where this took 
place.  I don't know to what extent the Navy siezure had on other 
operations.  The Navy's records on the operation are in the National 
Archives, but the more colorful stories come from the local newspapers.

Alex Schust


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 11:21 PM
Subject: Re: Clear Fork Branch request


> Alex,
>
> This sounds interesting.  Could you share the story with the rest of us
> also?
>
> Gordon Hamilton
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:04 PM
> Subject: Re: Clear Fork Branch request
>
>
>> Mason,
>>
>> Send me an email address and I can send you part of the story.  I am not
>> aware of any particular link, but yes it did happen in Coalwood.
>>
>> Alex Schust
>> aschust2 at comcast.net
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>> Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 10:44 PM
>> Subject: Clear Fork Branch request
>>
>>
>> > Can anyone provide information or a link leading to further information
>> > about the U.S. Navy operation of coal mines on the Clear Fork branch,
>> > following a labor strike during World War II?      Mason Cooper
>> >
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