Washington Coal Miners Threaten Shutdown
District No. 10 of the United Mine Workers of America sets an October 1 deadline for a 5 percent wage increase.
The reconvened biennial convention of District No. 10, United Mine Workers of America, meeting in Seattle, has voted unanimously to reaffirm their demand for a 5 percent wage increase. The convention represents 5,000 coal miners. Union leadership indicated that if the Washington Coal Operators' Association does not grant the new two-year scale, work in the mines will cease no later than October 1.
“An order to cease work in the mines of the 14 companies in the Washington Coal Operators’ association shall not be delayed beyond October 1 if the new scale is not granted.”
This 1916 labor conflict highlights the historical volatility of the Washington coal industry, which faced mounting pressure as the regional economy shifted away from coal toward hydroelectric and other power sources throughout the 20th century.
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