History of hard rock miners' organizations
Encyclopedia
Hard rock miners' organizations have included fraternal and union organization of miners or mine workers formed for the purpose of addressing issues such as wages, health and safety, funeral arrangements of members, or widow's benefits. Fraternal organizations have tended to focus on welfare and community; union organizations and federations have included economic issues and negotiations with employers.
claims an origin in 1845 in (what is now) West Virginia
. It celebrates a frivolous culture, yet concerns itself with the welfare of members and their families in sickness and in death.
was formed in the United Kingdom
in 1858.
occurred in 1863 in Central City, Colorado
. That effort failed after a night of mayhem.
Also in 1863, a group of 300 to 400 miners at the Comstock Lode
formed the Miners' Protective Association. The organization was formed to oppose a pending wage cut, and to create a benefit fund for sick and injured miners and their families. The wage cut did not occur, and the organization eventually faded.
In 1864 a new Cornish foreman at the Comstock talked of cutting wages. The miners tied him to a bucket and delivered him to the surface with a slogan, "Dump this pile of waste dirt from Cornwall". The wage cut that he had ordered was rescinded. But new miners were hired at a lower wage, provoking demonstrations by Virginia City and Gold Hill miners. This policy was also rescinded. The miners formed the Miners' League of Storey County
. This organization was likewise a victim of its own success, threatened wage cuts were not imposed and the organization lost vitality. An economic slowdown in 1865 finally did result in a wage cut, and when the stock market crashed that year, the miners did not organize to oppose the lower wage.
In 1879 the Miners' Cooperative Union (MCU) in Leadville, Colorado
was the first hard rock miners' union in the United States to affiliate with another organization, in this case the national Knights of Labor
. Like many unions of the period, the MCU ceased to exist after its first labor strike. By 1888, however, there were 43 local Knights of Labor organizations in Colorado, including several in mining communities. The Knights opted for organizing all workers in an industry
rather than restricting itself to the narrow concept of organizing workers according to their skills
.
Scattered hard rock miner organizations were formed throughout the western United States between 1865 and 1892, when a violent struggle broke out
at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
. The following year the Western Federation of Miners
(WFM) was formed. The WFM followed the lead of the Knights of Labor and later, the American Railway Union
in organizing industrially.
History
Early miners' organizations were generally local, and were formed in response to specific developments such as wage cuts, or new technology introduced into the mines. Early unions sought to protect miners' rights, wages, status, and working conditions. Miners in the mid-to-late 19th century tended to be individualistic and independent. They tended to be more competitive than cooperative. When individual instincts conflicted with communal concerns, individual instincts often won. However, when mine workers' economic organizations came under attack, organizational philosophies underwent a transition in order to meet the challenge.Organizations
One of the oldest surviving fraternal organizations focused on hard rock mining, E Clampus VitusE Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area...
claims an origin in 1845 in (what is now) West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It celebrates a frivolous culture, yet concerns itself with the welfare of members and their families in sickness and in death.
United Kingdom
An early hard rock miners' organization called The Miners AssociationThe Miners Association
The Miners Association was founded in 1858 by Robert Hunt FRS, and the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society.The Association was formed to create a body that would discuss, develop, address the needs and represent the hard rock mining industry within the south west region of the United...
was formed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1858.
United States
The first effort to form a hard rock miners union in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occurred in 1863 in Central City, Colorado
Central City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
. That effort failed after a night of mayhem.
Also in 1863, a group of 300 to 400 miners at the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
formed the Miners' Protective Association. The organization was formed to oppose a pending wage cut, and to create a benefit fund for sick and injured miners and their families. The wage cut did not occur, and the organization eventually faded.
In 1864 a new Cornish foreman at the Comstock talked of cutting wages. The miners tied him to a bucket and delivered him to the surface with a slogan, "Dump this pile of waste dirt from Cornwall". The wage cut that he had ordered was rescinded. But new miners were hired at a lower wage, provoking demonstrations by Virginia City and Gold Hill miners. This policy was also rescinded. The miners formed the Miners' League of Storey County
Storey County, Nevada
Storey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006...
. This organization was likewise a victim of its own success, threatened wage cuts were not imposed and the organization lost vitality. An economic slowdown in 1865 finally did result in a wage cut, and when the stock market crashed that year, the miners did not organize to oppose the lower wage.
In 1879 the Miners' Cooperative Union (MCU) in Leadville, Colorado
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
was the first hard rock miners' union in the United States to affiliate with another organization, in this case the national Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence Powderly...
. Like many unions of the period, the MCU ceased to exist after its first labor strike. By 1888, however, there were 43 local Knights of Labor organizations in Colorado, including several in mining communities. The Knights opted for organizing all workers in an industry
Industrial unionism
Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union—regardless of skill or trade—thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations...
rather than restricting itself to the narrow concept of organizing workers according to their skills
Craft unionism
Craft unionism refers to organizing a union in a manner that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the particular craft or trade that they work in by class or skill level...
.
Scattered hard rock miner organizations were formed throughout the western United States between 1865 and 1892, when a violent struggle broke out
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892
There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: the labor strike of 1892, and the labor confrontation of 1899....
at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
. The following year the Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
(WFM) was formed. The WFM followed the lead of the Knights of Labor and later, the American Railway Union
American Railway Union
The American Railway Union , was the largest labor union of its time, and one of the first industrial unions in the United States. It was founded on June 20, 1893, by railway workers gathered in Chicago, Illinois, and under the leadership of Eugene V...
in organizing industrially.