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= Coal Wars: Colorado =

Background.
The labor woes in the latter stages of the 19th and early 20th century in Colorado were highlighted in the coalfields throughout the state. Powerful mining companies such as Colorado Fuel and Iron, Victor- American, and Rocky Mountain Fuel were at the center of these labor wars. Various issues such as wages, safety conditions, and unfair treatment of employers were at the forefront of the miners concerns. Newly formed unions such as the Knights of Labor, United Mine Workers begun to combat these companies. The struggles lasted for decades, while violence occasionally occurred it did not make national news until violence erupted in a small southern Colorado town named Ludlow. 

Early Unionism
In 1873, William Jackson Palmer' s Colorado Coal and Iron Company in Coal Creek decided to lower wages from $1.50 to $1.25 per ton, which resulted in the first strike of southern Colorado coalfields. Wages and rates accounted for 60 to 80 percent of the cost of manufacturing coal. Unrest gradually increased even brewing into violence between employees and authorities

It wasn’t until the Knights of Labor, who began to help organize the coalminers throughout Colorado between 1884 and 1885. The next move by the companies was unprecedented. Spearheaded by Colorado Coal and Iron, coal companies joined forces in shutting down these strikes by hiring cheap labor for the fraction of the cost.

Companies began to reduce the price of coal as well as limit production because of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed. Troubled economic times throughout the country were ahead. The Panic of 1893 caused the country to go into a depression and would spiral down towards the coalminers. This caused banks to cut back on funds, and business to cease their workforce, this affected the miners greatly, more than 90 percent would be out of work. To cut costs, mining companies began distributing certificates that were called company script's. These scripts limited employees to only be able to use them at company stores. This caused a massive protest throughout out the country and on April 21st, 1894, when nearly 200,000 colliers throughout the country decided to walked off their job. This became to be known as The Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894.The strikes in Colorado were met with fierce punishment from the operators. In New Castle,those that had been on strike for over 3 months were forced to accept a 30% decrease of wages for the three months they were on strike However, a new resolution put the employees back on old wages and they agreed not to strike for at least another year.

= United Mine Worker's Era = In 1890 the United Mine Workers of America that became the voice of mine workers during strikes. In Fremont County strikers began threatening non-strikers who continued to work rather than picket. In May of 1894 the strikers were moving towards Rouse camp According to the Huerfano Journal “would be the largest coal camp in Colorado" . The UMW demanded the employees to be paid in cash(rather than company scripts), choose the men that monitored their work, and recognition of the union . Rather than comply, companies just hired men that did not join unions. Strikes were extensive at times, miners would give him and return back to work.Those that continued to strike were once again greeted with stiff opposition, and this time from the highest official from the state. Governor David Waite ordered U.S. Marshall's to disrupt these gatherings and even have men arrested . On August 2nd, 1894 miners in Florence Colorado, employees decided with a vote of 191 to 145 to end the strike and return back to work.

Most of these men who worked for the companies lived on company grounds which were known as closed camps.These were properties bought, rent and leased on company ground to employees. Men were not earning enough to be able to purchase property outside of company territories. For the employers,this was viewed camps as a good way of having men near by that could work at a moments notice.This aspect of having employees so close together helped employees unionize and start to picket on company grounds. Employers tried shutting down these rallies by notifying authorities and forcing men to surrender, as they did in Cripple Creek

By the early 20th century, John D. Rockefeller Sr. had purchased William Jackson Palmer's Colorado Coal & Iron Co and changed it's name to Colorado Fuel and Iron and handing it over to his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr While ownership may of changed,little else did in employee demands. Safety conditions were poor in Colorado and men were frequently dying on the job, Colorado had a reputation for having one of worst records for safety conditions among all the coal mining states. In the Fall of 1903, the UMWA led by John Mitchell had a strike against Rockefeller's Colorado Fuel and Iron because of the issue of safety and wage issues. The northern Colorado operators tried to prevent the strike by agreeing to nearly all the terms besides the eight-hour-workday; the employees rejected this resolution and were adamant in having all their demands met. However by, November 28, a vote that passed by a wide margin, 483-130, and to return back to work since many of the miners felt that most of their demands were met

Ludlow Massacre
By 1913, conditions had not improved greatly since the last major strike in the state. Safety conditions were still very poor and miners were dying on the job.The UMW and Western Federation of Miners prepared their move for another strike.Tension was at boiling pointy when a union organizer was murdered.This brought the union closer together and anthem for all Colorado miners was born, The Colorado Strike Song .

John R. Lawson an international board member of the UMW illustrated seven demands that they pushed for.These demands varied, from having the union recognized, an eight-hour work day, and having their own men check the weights of the coal, as they felt company men were being unjust in their counting methods. Without complying with these demands a strike was emanate.This would transform into a much larger strike in the state. Counties such as, Las Animas, Huerfano, Routt County, Crested Butte started the strike on September 21, 1913, over 11,000 miners went on strike, that resulted in a loss of millions of dollars. Companies forcefully removed families from their homes that were on strike, some homes were even burned down. Those that were forced out and remained in Colorado moved into union settlements called tent colonies.There colonies were funded by the union. Unions supported families financial but were very limited in their finances, men would receive three dollars a week, women one, and each child would receive fifty cents per week

Peace talks were slatted for November 1913 in Colorado’s capitol building. Archie Allison, David Hamman and T.X. Evans represented the union. John Osgood represented Victor-America, Jesse Welborn CF&I and David Brown Rocky Mountain Fuel; Governor Elias Ammons was too at the meeting. Osgood was very much anti-union, who was self-made man who believed that hard work can lead to a better life. As the meeting begun it was evident that an agreement being reached was going to be a difficult. According to Thomas Andrews’ book Killing for Coal, Andrew stated “Osgood’s main critique of the United mine Workers boiled down to this: the union institutionalized a mutualism that challenged company authority over the mine workspace and thwarted honest workmen in their efforts to exercise their sacrosanct right to upward mobility… Hamman repudiated by stating “You people don’t know what is going on” and Hamman added his input by stating, “and if you people were in closer touch with what is going on at these mines I believe you would change your minds yourself”. The ideologies were vastly different; they were on the opposite side of the spectrum. Neither side was willing to give.The coal companies refused to recognize the union, and without the recognition of UMW, the talks had fallen apart. Governor Ammons instructed General John Chase to deploy the National Guard in the case of violence who were already prepared for. Leaders were arrested and charged for “conspiracy to restrain” trade as well as to have deploy strikebreakers. Strikers were always under the threat of militiamen and the National Guard.

Interrogations became the normal for anybody that was in these strike zones that was associated with the union. In a small town located in Las Animas named Ludlow, was in one of these strike zones. There was occasional violence in this town but violence erupted on April 20th, 1914 that made national news. This small town became infamous for a tragic event named ''The Ludlow Massacre. ''There were still a small number of National Guard members in this camp, which would escalate into tragedy. Louis Tikas who was in charge of the camp was shot and killed by a national guard member. This triggered pandemonium on both sides and that resulted in nearly 50 deaths that included 4 women and 13 children. . Peace was not reached until President Wilson ordered army troops to be deployed in the areas with the most unrest. The strike would end in December of 1914 after the UMW convention in Pueblo was held. President Wilson had sent mediators that would try to make for the unions and operators. After fifteen months the strike was finally over. The aftermath of the event saw Governor Ammons condemned by the his own senate for his poor judgment on handling the strike. Rockefeller who owned majority of these grounds and CF&I denied any wrong doing. The blame was thrown on both sides with neither taking responsibility.