![]() Under conditions of growing working-class opposition, the UMWA is again resorting to out-and-out gangsterism. The day after the bodies were found, tens of thousands of West Virginia miners conducted a wildcat strike protesting Boyle, who would be convicted for ordering the murders. ![]() On December 31, 1969, Joseph “Jock” Yablonski, who had run against UMWA President Tony Boyle, was murdered in his Pennsylvania home, along with his wife and 25-year-old daughter. The UMWA has a long history of out-and-out gangsterism, violence and murder. The fact that top leaders of the AFL-CIO and the UMWA assaulted and threatened to kill individuals they identified as left-wing and socialist is directed not only at the individuals themselves and at the World Socialist Web Site.Ībove all, it is a threat directed against all workers who oppose the betrayals of the UMWA and want to develop a real struggle against the corporations and the ruling class. The attack must be seen by all workers as a serious warning with grave implications. With the thugs railing against the “World Socialist Party” and clearly intent on beating up the podcasters or worse, Morrison tries to stop them by declaring that the podcasters have no association with the WSWS, saying, “They’re not them.” The two podcasters also say, “We’re not with the World Socialist Party.” Nearly a dozen UMWA officials then follow Tommy and surround the podcasters’ car. As he enters the hall, he informs Jacob Morrison, secretary-treasurer of the North Alabama AFL-CIO and former programs director of the Alabama College Democrats, that “we just got kicked out, and it was racist.” Asked by Morrison who threw them out, Tommy identifies Blankenship who has followed him into the hall.īlankenship lunges at Tommy, saying in openly racist language: “I’ll beat your mother f**king brains out, boy!” This violent assault is only stopped by Morrison who stands in Blankenship’s way and gets threatened too. Tommy, who is black, is clearly concerned about his safety and asks if he can retrieve his electric charger from the union hall. Spencer shouts, “Get the f**k out of here” and tells Tommy, “You better erase that off your phone.” The UMWA officials continue to menace Tommy as he heads back to his car and then accost three youth who were previously at the table for trying to assist Tommy in carrying the equipment. Spencer threatens again, saying, “Keep slowing down and we’ll find out what car you’re driving and fold it up too.” Thirty seconds later, Spencer and other thugs toss over the table, damaging equipment, and tell the podcasters to “shut up” and get off of their “private property.” What y’all are posting and stuff,” referring to World Socialist Web Site articles. The two podcasters begin gathering their equipment while the podcast co-host Tommy asks, “You don’t like socialists?” Spencer says, “Exactly!” Spencer rails against “What y’all are doing. Spencer asks, “Are y’all with the World Socialist Party?” One of the podcasters, Nelson, replies, “I’m with the DSA ,” but Spencer immediately thrusts his fingers towards Nelson’s chest and shouts, “Get the f**k out of here. Articles exposing the betrayals by the UMWA have won a wide following among mine workers.Īt 4:29 in the video, Spencer and Blankenship walk up to the podcast booth with two other men. In their assault, Spencer and Blankenship repeatedly refer to the “World Socialist Party,” referring to the WSWS. Miners responded by denouncing Roberts as a “sellout” and burning copies of the contract. Next to UMWA President Cecil Roberts, Spencer was the leading force in trying to push the agreement through. ![]() The attack comes six weeks after miners delivered an overwhelming rejection, by a vote of 1,006 to 45, of a contract brought back by the UMWA. ![]() ![]() That is, the assault was led and directed by top-level executives in the Alabama AFL-CIO and the UMWA. Blankenship is also on the Alabama AFL-CIO Executive Board. Also involved in the assault was James Blankenship, a UMWA District 20 Representative. These were not, however, “some miners.” In addition to being the UMWA District 20 Vice President, for which he receives an income of $140,000 a year, Spencer is on the Executive Board of the Alabama AFL-CIO, where he serves as a vice president at large for the southern district. Attack on DSA podcasters by UMW in Alabama ![]()
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