The National Miners Union was initiated by the Communist Party in 1928 when the ‘Third Period’ policy of dual unions began. Largely made up of the ‘Save the Union Committee’ that had fought for years within the U.M.W.A., the N.U.M. would a call a ‘general strike’ in the coal fields in Eastern Kentucky and East Tennessee on January 1, 1932 soon broken and resulting in a mass blacklist. The N.U.M.’s Women’s Auxiliary played a prominent role in the formations of the union as well as in local struggles such as those described below.

‘A Tennessee Women’s Auxiliary of the National Miners Union in Action’ by Gertrude Logan from the Daily Worker. Vol. 9 No. 56. March 5, 1932.

The mine came out on strike on January 1st one hundred per cent, along with many other mines in Kentucky and Tennessee. The strike machinery was working well. But how about the women?

Yes, how about the women? How active were they? Did they take part in the activities in the camp? Were they active on the strike committee and all other committees?

For some weeks the women were almost ignored. The men did not realize that their wives and mothers and daughters must also be active in order to make the strike a success. For women are not employed in the mines, and are regarded as homemakers and not as fighters in industry.

But the women’s organizer of the National Miners Union came along-and what a change! The women, eager to help, eager to be active, eager to fight, at last got their chance. Not only did the organizer immediately help these women to set up a woman’s auxiliary of the National Miners Union, but she bawled out the men for neglecting such a tremendous opportunity for strengthening the strike. And the men were not difficult to convince. It was just a case of having their eyes opened.

Once the Women’s Auxiliary was set on its feet, and once the men became convinced and supported the organization, things began to hum. Activity? More than the women could keep up with. Taking part in every activity, marching side by side with the men in the mass marches and demonstrations. And besides that, a special program:

1. A certain proportion of women on every committee in the strike, in order that the women can take active part in every phase of strike activity-strike committee, relief committee, finance committee, organizational committee, etc., etc.

2. In connection with relief- not only that the women should be active in the distribution of relief at the relief station, but also active in the collection of relief from the farmers in conducting tag days in nearby cities for money, in going at organizations for help, etc., etc.

Also there was expected any day now a large shipment of clothing sent down from the north by the Workers International Relief. The miners, their wives and children, were going about ragged and practically barefoot, and this clothing, sent in a spirit of solidarity by the workers of the North, was badly needed. But they realized too, that the workers in the North are also hard hit, and that they can afford only to send clothing which is already somewhat worn.

Shall we distribute this clothing as it comes in, or shall it be put into good shape first? It may happen that one family will get clothing which requires hours and perhaps days of sewing before it can be worn, while another family might be lucky enough to get some brand new clothing. So the women decided and held a big sewing bee.

The auxiliary held a special meeting when the clothing arrived, for the purpose of sorting it out and sewing on it. Thus this tremendous job was conducted in a social manner, stimulating still further the feeling of solidarity of all the workers in the camp, in their joint effort to win better conditions for all. And the women did not sit hunched up over the sewing in their pitiful little shacks, all alone, sewing for hours and hours to get the clothes in shape to wear, but all pitched in together and got the work done in record time.

Then there was the question of the school children. Some children could not go to school because they had no clothing. Some went to school without breakfast. Others could not study because they didn’t have the schoolbooks, for in this cap the children had to buy their own books. Also the Red Cross, which had made a survey of the needs of the school children before the term opened, refused any aid because the fathers went on strike! So the following demands were worked out:

1. Clothing for the school children to be furnished by the school authorities.

2. Hot lunch at noon for all children at the cost of the school authorities.

3. All text-books to be furnished free.

That night the parent-teachers meeting was held. It had been widely advertised that the county superintendent of schools and the county representative of the Red Cross was to be there. The women elected a spokesman to present these demands and a committee to back them up. But these two officials did not appear! They had heard of the militant plans of the women, and had been scared off.

So now new plans have been made. A committee will go with these demands to the county superintendent of schools and to the Red Cross. If their demands are rejected, the women will start mass picketing of these two offices, with slogans, and mobilize the men and children to picket with them.

Now these women are taking part in all activities of the strike. Only a little guidance in helping them organize, brought them into this important activity and all the worker in the camp, men and women both, now realize how important it is to draw the women into the struggle of the workers.

Three of the most advanced of these women have already joined the Communist Party Unit in this camp and keep the importance of utilizing the women in struggles ever before all the workers.

And if they put as much energy into organizing for International Women’s Day on March 8th, as they have done in all their activity up to the present time, this mining camp, at least, will have a good turn-out on this day of struggle against the special exploitation of women workers.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924. National and City (New York and environs) editions exist.

PDF of original issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1932/v09-n056a-NY-mar-05-1932-DW-LOC.pdf