John L. Lewis, one of the most controversial labor leaders in history, was instrumental in revolutionizing labor in America. He became President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in 1920 and, for 40 years, his administration ruled the union. He is recognized for advocating mechanization in the mines, as well as war-time strikes.
In 1919, a national surplus of 100 million tons of coal brought about an industry-wide depression as mines closed and workers were laid off. The wage increases demanded by the UMWA were rejected by the Wilson Administration, which declared that a coal strike would be illegal under the regulations of the Wartime Fuel Commission, but Lewis ordered all bituminous coal miners to strike. An injunction was written prohibiting the strike, but the workers stayed out of the pits in what was officially termed as “stoppage.” Lewis was arrested for contempt of court, at which time he ordered the miners back to work.
In 1933, he again struck the coal fields of Appalachia and, using the National Industrial Recovery Act as his basis, he utilized the slogan “the President wants you to join the union.” His campaign was an overwhelming success and, within a year, UMWA membership soared. With the union back on its feet, Lewis went on to organize workers in the steel, utility, and automotive industries—the foremost consumers of bituminous coal. Through his efforts the Congress of Industrial Organizations (the CIO) was established.
During World War II, Lewis’s proceedings as UMWA president were the most controversial actions of his career. While other labor leaders quieted their campaigns to support the war effort, Lewis went so far as to organize a strike in the mines, a move that threatened to impair defense production in the steel industry. His demands were met almost immediately, though not without criticism for his unpatriotic tactics. To the dismay of the administration and the public, he called a second wartime strike in 1943, this time of all UMWA members. When half a million miners walked out, the public considered it a traitorous gesture but, after several months, the workers were granted higher wages.
