Thread by @LasVegasDSA

Today we remember the original Rednecks: 10,000 coal miners who fought a literal army in order to earn better working conditions during the Battle of Blair Mountain 100 years ago.
Here's a little bit of info about the largest armed labor uprising in U.S. history:
1/12
#LaborDay

These West Virginian miners were diverse members of the working class: white and Black, immigrants and deep-rooted locals. They lived in an oppressive company town where the mining company controlled every aspect of their life, even charging them for their own work tools.
2/12

When United Mine Workers began organizing in the area, companies hired private detectives to spread propaganda and intimidate union sympathizers.
Things came to a head when the local sheriff, a supporter of the union miners, was murdered by these agents in broad daylight.
3/12

10,000 miners, union organizers, and other comrades flocked to the area to unite against the oppressive mining companies. An anti-union police force of 3,000 men set up machine gun nests around Blair Mountain to repel the sympathizers.
4/12

Fighting continued for over a week. Union forces, wearing red bandanas around their necks, pushed for hours at a time against the entrenched machine gun nests. The mining company's agents even dropped various homemade explosives from planes onto the mine workers' structures.
5/12

The fighting ended when President Warren G. Harding sent federal troops to intervene. The union experienced the greatest number of casualties, and over 100 were tried for murder or treason. However, almost all were acquitted.
6/12

Although technically declared a victory for coal companies, the actions of the brave workers spread throughout the country and contributed to the surge in union power over the next decade.
Naturally, the coal industry fought hard to hide the battle from the state's history.
7/12

Capitalists will always fight against your right to unionize.
And that is because they fear a united working class.
8/12

Today, our work continues as we fight for a living wage for all, fight to #PassThePROAct to strengthen union rights, and fight for a #GreenNewDeal that will create millions of jobs on the path to a greener future.
9/12

Here are three things you can do:
You can join us next month for Worker Power Wednesday, a labor-focused conversation where people share goings-on within their union, how they're organizing their workplace, or ask for advice and resources.
10/12
bit.ly/3gXbSB6

You can also join in the national PRO Act Campaign, coordinated by DSA's Green New Deal Campaign Committee and Democratic Socialist Labor Commission.
11/12
pro-act.dsausa.org

And of course, organize your workplace or join a union to improve your working conditions. Visit workerorganizing.org for resources and support.
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