Flip to William B. Wilson, National Secretary Treasurer of the United Mine Workers of America circa 1908. Close Window
Credit: Department of Environmental Protection
Governor William A. Stone's support of the coal mine operators heavy-handed refusal to negotiate with Pennsylvania's striking anthracite miners in 1902 infuriated President Theodore Roosevelt. When the stoppage threatened a nationwide coal shortage, Roosevelt set up a Commission that arbitrated a resolution in favor of the miners. This marked the first time in American history that the federal government interceded in a labor dispute on behalf of workers.
