Tragedy At Avondale by Robert P. Wolensky

During subcontracting the bigger company gave the smaller company a section of the mine to mine coal.Įventually the subcontracting system was cut back and the strike ended. “Subcontracting is when the big company gives mineral rights to a smaller connoisseur,” Wolensky said. The strike of 1920 against the subcontracting system was led by Rinaldo Cappellini and Alec Campbell.

Lewis was president of the United Mine Workers of America.

There were two major strikes discussed by Hastie and Wolensky during their lecture.ĭuring the first strike in, 1920, John L. “Other groups were involved but we’re mainly concerned with the Italians because their story has not been told,” Wolensky said. They were all tied to coal mining in some way or another,” Wolensky said.Īt this time most of the mine workers weren’t of Italian descent, but Italians made up the largest single group of mine workers. “Bill (Hastie) long ago told me there were 26 murders in the Pittston area in 1928. Wolensky said the year 1928 was a wild year for the Pennsylvania Coal Company with many murders. Wolensky has also written two books on the Knox Mine and one on the Avondale Mine. Wolensky is a professor of history at King’s College and a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Hastie has worked in mines, including the Knox Mine, site of a 1959 disaster. The lecture, held at First Presbyterian Church, was led by William A. On Saturday, the West Pittston Historical Society featured a lecture titled, “The Labor War of 1928: Rinaldo Cappellini, Alec Campbell, and the Industrial Conflict at the Pennsylvania Coal Company.” WEST PITTSTON – This past week many locals celebrated Mining History Week.

The event, held at First Presbyterian Church in West Pittston, featured historian Robert Wolensky and former mine worker Bill Hastie. Kallianiotis/For The Times LeaderĪudience members listen Saturday to a presentation on labor disorder of the 1920s and the early days and personalities of mine unionism. Historian Bob Wolensky, right, and Bill Hastie give a presentation about the labor discord of 1928. Two experts on anthracite mining sketch out the tumultuous labor situation of the 1920s. Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.

Tragedy At Avondale by Robert P. Wolensky