Customer Reviews

The Miners of Windber: The Struggles of New Immigrants for Unionization, 1890s-1930s

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I'm halfway through this book and it's great. I bought this book because my great great- grandfather and his parents came here from slovakia in 1905, and migrated to winbder where when he was old enough he worked at the mine #5 at the berwind coal company.

Was very disappointed with this book, the title I found to be misleading, and the author repeated herself a lot in the book, so I found it to be rather boring. The book was more about Berwind White Coal Company, and the immigrant's religion, than the miners of Windber. After interviewing thirty-five immigrants from this mining town, she did not give credit to all who were interviewed and who gave important information for this book.

This is the best example of a group of people who were commited over many years to gain Union representation. How the Company and the Union used the people for it's own benefit. The Union allowing the workers to believe that if they stuck their neck out and went on strike that they would gain Union membership, but the Union ultimately abandoned them for years, while the Company used the workers and their families. It is especially interesting to read about all the things that we have forgotten as a society as this book reminds us that people like these miners were once basically owned by the Company and in some cases worse off than slaves. This is a recommended read to all who are interested in Union/Company realtionships and why Unions came to be. It is especially worth noting the safety of the mines and how common death and serious accidents were (worth reading at Safety and Union Meetings), people are also reminded how lucky they are today because of the sacrifice of others. This book should be a mandatory read for all Union leaders in all occupations (also for management as well).