how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s

In the 1930s and 1940s, coal-mining communities in Australia, Wales, and England included members of the Communist Party. Although coal had served as a major source of energy in Great Britain for centuries,British colonists had little use for North Americas massive reserves. Wales was famous for its coal mining, in the Rhondda Valley, the South Wales Valleys and throughout the South Wales coalfield and by 1913 Barry had become the largest coal exporting port in the world, A study in the Monthly Labor Review from 1936 attempted to gather and analyze wage data of unskilled and semiskilled laborers in 1935. But between 1900 and 1979 fatality rates per ton of coal mined and per ton-mile of freight carried fell by 97 percent. How much did Coal miners get paid in the 1900s. The period of the 1930s and 1940s, as union membership went from less than three million in 1933 to almost 15 million in 1945 while strikes escalated. how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s. | In 1915, according to statistics prepared in 1933 by the late Mark Woodley, a former mine operator, miners pay went to $3 a day or .60 cents a ton. Even miners who had been on the job for years rarely made more than a few dollars each week one 1902 account claimed a daily salary of $1.60 for a ten-hour shift. Just like the soft mining caps that were used to hold oil-wick or carbide mining lamps, African American History Curatorial Collective, Grant Wheat's Story of Underground Lighting. Under these terms, a hard worker could earn $2.00 for ten to twelve hours of labor, if the work was steady. Registered: 8 years ago. A study in the Monthly Labor Review from 1936 attempted to gather and analyze wage data of unskilled and semiskilled laborers in 1935. excavators wearing their own "long water boots" 4s. National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act) establishes NLRB and provides for right to organize into trade unions, collective bargaining, and worker strikes. The potential dangers were always there for them and their families. Today, that would be about $4.50 an hour. Miners faced death from collapsing mines, oxygen deprivation, and haulage accidents, with the specter of fatal lung disease remaining even after the miner had left the mines. Other occupations worked sixty hours a week regularly. Coal Mines. Oil-wick cap lamps were shaped like small kettlesa small font that contained oil fueled a wick that was stuffed into the spout. However, by March 1915, 191,170 miners joined the armed forces. for the year 1929, but I find that the average wage actually paid in the mining industry in 1929 was 118 16s. The salaries of Coal Miners in the US range from $11,105 to $294,800 , with a median salary of $53,905 . According to one version of the story, the Baldwin-Felts agents tried to arrest Hatfield when he attempted to prevent the evictions from taking place. Azure Web App Authentication Active Directory, 3 Why was mining important to the economy of Wales? The regions first coal miners primarily were African Americans, both enslaved and free. U.S. coal mining industry jobs lost by state Q4 2011-Q4 2016 Non-metallic mining industry jobs New Zealand 2009-2021 Value of wages and salaries in the coal mining industry Australia FY 2012-2020 Photo showing what the coal/outhouse buildings looked like, taken along the upper side of 2nd Street in 1942. In coal-mining regions, the fastest boys were put to work as spraggers. The acetylene gas that powered the flame burned cleanly, relieving the miner from the smoke and soot from oil lamps. Machine and mechanical miners received an additional 60 cents a day. The average coal miner gross salary in West Virginia, United States is $53,632 or an equivalent hourly rate of $26. This is the story of British coal mining, told through BBC radio and TV broadcasts from the last 70 years and a gallery of images from the 1930s. How much were coal miners paid in the 1800s? The coal industry was essentially the states sole source of work, and massive corporations built homes, general stores, schools, churches and recreational facilities in the remote towns near the mines. At the beginning of the war miners were the largest single group of industrial workers in Britain. Most workers in heavy industry and agriculture, who were male, were paid proportionately more than female workers in the same or other sectors. It set the stereotype that they were used to feuding and they were people who dont care about anything but a gun and a bottle of liquor, says Steele. Bituminous Coal Miner $1,500. 500ft. Friedman said that miners often work 47 or 48 hours per week, clocking multiple 10- to 12-hour shifts, which is above the national average for workers, which is about 38 hours per week. From the 1930s, cap lamps with battery packs were introduced. But this essential light was also lethal. I made the average of what we contract miners are paid; but, as I said before, I am not much better off than when I started. audio Street Musicians - Welsh Miners' Choir HIS REDUNDNACY MONEY EQUALS 3 YEARS NORMAL LIVING COSTS. How much did miners get paid a day in 1915? Gender and unemployment. It had no bath or toilet. Wales was famous for its coal mining, in the Rhondda Valley, the South Wales Valleys and throughout the South Wales coalfield and by 1913 Barry had become the largest coal exporting port in the world, The company went out of business in 1965. Best Answer. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Water Bending Spell, Carbide lamps were also worn on soft caps. With so much cash on hand, stores and boarding houses charged unheard-of prices for food, shelter and supplies. Around 1850, the oil-wick cap lamp was invented in Scotland. But for Terry Steele, a former coal miner in West Virginia and member of the local UMWA, revolting was the only way to respond to abuse. By July 1921 he was a miner on 12 shillings a day, by October of that year it had fallen to 5 shillings and ten pence per day. engineers 7/6 (= 110 pounds/year) 2. When Hatfield was acquitted in a local trial by jury, Felts brought a conspiracy charge against him, forcing the police chief to appear in court once more. About half of the surveyed penal institutions gave prisoners some compensation, based on its use as incentive toward good work and better behavior, and to provide the convict with a small way to provide for his family. Some miners love it. Led by Brown, the NCPA attempted to force a 12.5 per cent pay cut on their workers. Coal for household use, 1931-1932 Average retail price of coal by city for April and May of 1931 and 1932. During a major postwar wave of strikes, a UMW strike yields not only a contract, but also a new company-paid, union-administered UMWA American Welfare and Retirement Fund. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Violence breaks out in Harlan County, Kentucky and the governor calls in the National Guard. Although mining was hard work and dangerous, compared with other manual jobs working underground was relatively well paid. The company towns. Even miners who had been on the job for years rarely made more than a few dollars each week one 1902 account claimed a daily salary of $1.60 for a ten-hour shift. Increased competition, due to a continuous stream of immigrants and migrants from other parts of the U.S., also drove down wages. Verjas De Casas Modernas, serta big and tall office chair model 49734, carla abellana and tom rodriguez relationship, why do i get goosebumps when my boyfriend touches me, who to call about a homeless person los angeles, what congressional district am i in georgia, No Credit Check Apartments Union County, Nj, how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s. The average earnings per man-shift worked in all districts, however, in the quarter ended 30th June, 1920, were l6s. But this essential light was also lethal. Posts: 10. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Mine workers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The early 20th century was the deadliest time for miners in the history of the United States. The Baldwin-Felts agents were professional men. The company went out of business in 1965. terry51. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The coal miners life was a hard one. Miners lives in the late-1800s were absurdly dangerous, large in part because many technologies we now take for granted hadnt yet been invented. [Unions] became so dependent on federal labor laws and the National Labor Relations Board that they lived and died by what the federal government would allow them to do, Martin says. 1955. But as miners sought to remove more coal, shafts were dug deeper below the water line. their control over the land to control their labor force. 7d., it would bring the total average wage up to 2130 7s. They organized a wildcat strike. By 1938, real wages were at 107.7% of their 1930 level. Although mining was hard work and dangerous, compared with other manual jobs working underground was relatively well paid. A study in the Monthly Labor Review from 1936 attempted to gather and analyze wage data of unskilled and semiskilled laborers in 1935. More than 5,000 miners laid down their guns and the . Miners' pay that year was at a lower rate than it had been in 1906 and 1907 when day workers received $2.70 and tonnage men .48 cents a ton. There are substantial reserves of the metal in Ceredigion, probably first exploited in the Roman period, and extensively during the revival of metal mining in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. There were other ironies to savor too. Coal mining jobs - Hours and earnings, 1919-1933; Coal mining wages by state, 1923 Source: Miners' wages and the cost of coal: an inquiry into the wages system, pp. how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930show many games did joe burrow play in 2020. esther sunday school. how to check compiler version in visual studio 2019 304-539-8172; how often do twin flames come together casadeglo3@gmail.com Normal hours of work, and paid holidays multiplied. Empty cart. In the early days of the Gold Rush, a miner could earn a typical years wages in a few days. It was key to the Industrial Revolution. U.S. coal mining industry jobs lost by state Q4 2011-Q4 2016 Non-metallic mining industry jobs New Zealand 2009-2021 Value of wages and salaries in the coal mining industry Australia FY 2012-2020 Not many old men are found in the mines. When industrial coal mining began in Britain, for instance, much of it was womens work (even after they were banned from underground work in 1842). The combination of perilous working conditions and miner-guard tensions led to a massive strike in 1912 in southern West Virginia (Matewan sits on the states southern border with Kentucky). Following the 1910 strike, however, the men went back to work at the restored 1907 rate. The average earnings per man-shift worked in all districts, however, in the quarter ended 30th June, 1920, were l6s. Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. These lamps were worn on soft caps that offered little in the way of protection and were mainly worn for the convenience of having a light source in front of the miner's face. That same day, the town of Matewan was teeming with a number of unemployed miners who came to receive a few dollars, sacks of flour and other foodstuffs from the union to prevent their families from starving. In 1913 Stag Canon Mine number 2 in Dawson, New Mexico exploded killing 263 miners. It also did the brunt of the work suppressing unionization in coal mining townsand today, the Baldwin-Felts men were there to kick out men who had joined the UMWA. Following the 1910 strike, however, the men went back to work at the restored 1907 rate. The doctor came to my house almost every day. They worked long hours for low wages. Families would work together in a team and the amount of money they earned depended on how much coal they brought up to the surface. Coal was needed in vast quantities for the Industrial Revolution. What type of medicine do you put on a burn? 1938. audio Street Musicians - Welsh Miners' Choir In coal-mining regions, the fastest boys were put to work as spraggers. How much did a coal miner make in 1930? win harry styles tickets toronto; 10 examples of exothermic reactions in everyday life; feyre and rhysand fanfiction lemon Welcome to . Dad gets up to go to work, and he will meet all the other miners waiting to get the bus to either 'Dry Bread' or the 'Fair Lady'. In the 1930s, miners lay on their sides and used picks to work the coal, which was then loaded on to carts and pulled out of the shaft by pit ponies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As the rich mine owners got richer, union-organized strikes became a way for miners to protect their salaries. That figure includes not only those engaged on the face and at the surface, but certain ethers who earn considerably higher amounts than thatnamely, deputies, firemen and certain other better paid groups in the industry. Locals had a reputation for being violent and unreasonable. On September 3, 1921, General Bandholtz of the U.S. War Department sent 2,100 federal troops into the combat zone in West Virginia to intervene. These records include employee cards and applications. 1034-1035. 1900 miner's wages by coal size. For Bailey, its easy to see this story in terms of good and eviland that ignores the nuance of the story. Posts: 10. Harlan County, Kentucky, is probably best known for the hard-fought strikes in its coal mines in the 1930s and 1970s. 3d. Terms of Use 6d. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". How much did Coal miners get paid in the 1930s? On May 19, Baldwin-Felts agents arrived in Matewan to evict miners and their families from Stone Mountain Coal Company housing. Mining. 6d. Nine out of 10 Appalachian men do not receive college degrees; some dont even finish high school. These daring boys would carry 20 to 30 long pieces of wood, called sprags, while keeping up with the mine cars as they went down hills. The salaries of Salt Miners in the US range from $24,700 to $51,230 , with a median salary of $35,760 . Anthracite Mining Industry, 193066 Introduction 1930-51 Miners employed in the Nations hard coal field have been represented in their dealings with the operators by the United Mine Workers of America (ind.) Below is a list of wages from a variety of jobs in 1900. At this time, mining productivity in south Wales was something like 300 tonnes of coal per person, per year, says Curtis. The victory brings relative peace to the coalfields for more than two decades. How much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In one successful protest, 400,000 UMWA went on strike nationwide in 1919, securing higher wages and better working conditions. In addition, they earn an average bonus of $928. Advertising Notice A strong, skilled coal loader might fill five or more cars in a day. In part, this can be explained by increased competition, not only from other countries producing coal but also from cheaper substitute fuels. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. What Is the Average Underground Coal Mining Salary by State. The Lehigh Navigation Coal Company was formed in 1930, essentially as a holding company for the LCNC and other companies. Bus Driver $1,373. asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the basic wages and overall pay of unskilled and skilled miners for 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. How much did miners get paid during the Great Depression. Dozens are killed (on both sides), and more than 500 miners are arrested. These records include employee cards and applications. Miners striked for higher wages, shorter workdays, and the recognition of their union. Wiki User. 2013-05-08 12:47:10. The lamp sat in a bracket at the front of the helmet, with the cord running along the helmet's crown, guided by a cord holder in the back of the helmet to route the cable directly to the battery pack worn on the miners belt. Coal for household use, 1931-1932 Average retail price of coal by city for April and May of 1931 and 1932. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Oct 1930, pp. Sept 12, 1946. in Below Ground he Comes Out of the Cage: The 500ft. how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930smichelle krusiec parents. Also, the flame from the acetylene gas burned brighter than oil-wick cap lamps. The regions first coal miners primarily were African Americans, both enslaved and free. How much money does a coal miner make a month? In 1907, Monongah mines number 6 and number 8 exploded, killing 362 miners. Although mining was hard work and dangerous, compared with other manual jobs working underground was relatively well paid. Fair Labor Standards Act establishes minimum wage and overtime pay, and regulates child labor. They earned an average of $7.03 per start or day in 1922, $6.60 in 1924, and $6.46 in 1926, and in the half month they earned $62.30 in 1922, $54.44 in 1924, and $61.61 in 1926. The companies established settlements for workers located next to the coal mines. from 64.3 cents to 78.2 cents in 1928. Families would work together in a team and the amount of money they earned depended on how much coal they brought up to the surface. 8. Contemporary lamps include improvements in battery life and weight, a change to LED bulbs, and breakaway or segmented cords to allow the miner to be less inhibited by his battery pack. The largest tokens were most frequently $1.00 face value. In 1941, Pete Seeger and his pro-union folk music group, the Almanac Singers, recorded. Wales was famous for its coal mining, in the Rhondda Valley, the South Wales Valleys and throughout the South Wales coalfield. What were miners wages and the cost of coal used for? 24. Today the remaining mines are nonunion. what is nick montana doing now; douglas county elections 2021 results; How much did Coal miners get paid in the 1920s? All the coal mines in Britain were purchased by the government in 1947 and put under the control of the National Coal Board (NCB). Three months later, the conflict in the West Virginia coal town had escalated to the point where martial law was declared and federal troops had to intervene. 3rd Street in Heilwood, circa 1942. Managers worried about competition, costs, and controlling workers who spoke multiple languages and labored out of view. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The scale remained at that figure in 1916, but the following year, the daily rate of pay jumped to $6 and the tonnage rate went up to .80 cents. Coal miners enter a coal mine for the start of an afternoon shift near Gilbert. Ditech Settlement Check, The oil-wick cap lamp issued a bare flame, giving off enough light for miners to see what was in front of their face, but not much further. The labor upsurge during and after World War I, 1914 to 1920, when union membership climbed from roughly two million to five million. 5,0000000000000,00000000000000000,000000000000000. In response to a massive UMWA organizing effort in the area, local mining companies forced miners to sign yellow-dog contracts that bound them never to join a union. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. On the stairway of the courthouse in August 1921, Hatfield and his deputy, Ed Chambers, were gunned down by Baldwin-Felts agents. Mr. Chichester-Clark. In June, three miners and twenty strikebreakers and guards are killed in Herrin, Illinois. Although mining was hard work and dangerous, compared with other manual jobs working underground was relatively well paid. Copy. Workers focused on the pace of work, safety, and wages. Unforeseen . Wages. 4d., or 12 4s. Re: Coal Miner Hewer Wages. But for one group of people, employment rates actually went up: women. Mine Workers Homes on 2nd Street, circa 1940. As wealth consolidated after the war, says historian Rebecca Bailey, the author of Matewan Before the Massacre, unions found themselves in the crosshairs. Bare Facts 2020 Adventhealth, A fire in Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois killed 259 miners in 1909. Increased competition, due to a continuous stream of immigrants and migrants from other parts of the U.S., also drove down wages. In 1915 the Bureau approved the MSA Edison Flameless Electric Miners Cap Lamp, beginning the age of electric mine illumination that correlated with a steady decrease in mining accidents from the high reached in 1907. With so much cash on hand, stores and boarding houses charged unheard-of prices for food, shelter and supplies. Following World War I, there was an increasing concentration into fewer hands of industrial corporate power, says Bailey. Because only the company that printed the coal scrip honored it, or would redeem it, the By 1850, approximately half of Kanawha Countys slaves worked in the salt industrymany mined coal to fuel the furnaces. The company built and controlled the housing, the commissary (or store), and many of the other amenities, such as the amusement hall, available to workers and their families. The runner is a conductor who collects the loaded cars and directs the driver. Miners Homes circa 1943 1st Street to the right, 2nd Street to the left. Just like the soft mining caps that were used to hold oil-wick or carbide mining lamps, mining helmets were used to hold the new electric cap lamp. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COAL MINERS FAMILY IN THE 1930'S - E LOTE MINING IN ALDRIDGE STEAM POWERED LORRIES OF THE ALDRIDGE COLLIERY CO.LTD. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 1934. The depth, the dark, and the dangers inherent in mining created a uniquely dangerous working environment for the miner. Carbide lamps often came with a reflector, allowing this brighter flame to be directed and giving the miner a wider range of light. The Coal Creek War erupts in Tennessee in 1891-1892. Most Valuable 2000 Topps Football Cards. for the year 1929, but I find that the average wage actually paid in the mining industry in 1929 was 118 16s. Even miners who had been on the job for years rarely made more than a few dollars each week one 1902 account claimed a daily salary of $1.60 for a ten-hour shift. Copyright 2023 Wisdom-Advices | All rights reserved. Since most miners were paid by the pound a reduction in efficiency amounted to a reduction in pay, and so the risk of an explosion was worth the reward to many miners. This was mainly due to a greater commitment of the labour force in maximizing output. Worst Nightclubs In Europe, The Coal strike of 1902 (also known as the anthracite coal strike) was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania. 5,0000000000000,00000000000000000,000000000000000. In West Virginias colliers, miners were paid 49 cents per ton of clean coal, compared with 76 cents in the unionized mines of Ohio. View object record. More than 50 people killed, mostly miners; governor declares martial law. how much did coal miners get paid in the 1930s. How much were coal miners paid in the UK? Without light there was no sight, no work, and no wages. Either the Hard Boiled brand of helmet made by E.D. In February 1931, desperate Bell and Harlan county miners reasoned that they might as well die fighting as die of starvation.. 1029 Words 5 Pages. Their pay varies from $1.10 to $1.25, from which sum they supply their own lamps, cotton and oil. For miners, the system resembled something like feudalism. Copy. Miners and their families gather around the company store and office. The showdown may sound almost cinematic, but the reality of the coal miners armed standoffs throughout the early 20th century was much darker and more complicated. For centuries people in Britain had made do with charcoal if they needed a cheap and easy way to acquire fuel. What was the pay scale like for coal miners in 1920 in the United States? Machine and mechanical miners received an additional 60 cents a day. July 18, 2013 12:57PM. Below Ground he Comes Out of the Cage: The 500ft. Library of Congress. However, by March 1915, 191,170 miners joined the armed forces. Login; Register; sarah marie gogglebox nationality. Leaders like John L. Lewis, the head of the United Mine Workers of America, insisted that workers strength came through collective action. 7d., it would bring the total average wage up to 2130 7s. Coal production increased during the first few months of the conflict. when did english replace french as the language of diplomacy; radio stations in new jersey; tsunami mod minecraft curseforge; vn 03 2022 digitech weather station reset. How Did The War Affect The Lives Of Coal Miners And Their Families. See answers (2) Best Answer. Allan Savory Elephants, Coal miners were paid by the amount and quality of the coal they produced, and they could be fined if there was too much "slack" (the smaller pieces). Fritos Many men took up the occupation of traveling salesmen in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, that would be about $4.50 an hour. In total, the average entrance rate for common labor was $0.45 an hour, with a low of $0.15 and a high of $0.95. Child coal miners with mules in Gary, West Virginia in 1908. These employees are engaged in-the production of anthra How much did Coal miners get paid in the [] The labor upsurge during and after World War I, 1914 to 1920, when union membership climbed from roughly two million to five million. All was owned by the company. Today, not only do coal miners still suffer from this lethal but preventable lung disease, they do so at younger ages, some even in their thirties, and they are contracting the most advanced form of black lung at the highest rates ever recorded. terry51. During the last thirty years over 10,000 men and boys have been killed and 25,000 have been injured in this industry. Although it was Miners Federation policy to fully co-operate until the end of the war, coal output declined steadily from 12 million tons in 1942, to 11 million in 1943, 11 million in 1944, and just over 10 million tons in 1945. Their opponents were fighting for a fair and living wage, an appropriate share of the benefits of their labor.. Toggle navigation. January 19, 2018. 2015-12-18 02:34:13. in The Tredegar Workmens Medical Aid and Sick Relief Fund was founded in 1890, bringing together a number of schemes run by benevolent societies in the town and the Health and Education Fund that had been set up in the early 1870s by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. How did families make money in the coal industry? Carbide lamps were still used with hard protective helmets, but helmets that used electric lamps often had a cord holder to keep the cord out of the miners way. 2013-05-08 12:47:10. If you got a man killed, he could be replaced., What made the situation worse, according to Wilma Steele, a founding member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, was the contempt outsiders had for miners in the region. The average Coal Miner in the US makes $58,147. When we essentialize a narrative into heroes and villains, we run the risk of invalidating human pain and agency, Bailey says. A coal miner in Jenkins via 1935. The gunfight in downtown Matewan on May 19, 1920, had all the elements of a high-noon showdown: on one side, the heroes, a pro-union sheriff and mayor; on the other, the dastardly henchmen of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. 2015-12-18 02:34:13. The average coal miner gross salary in West Virginia, United States is $53,632 or an equivalent hourly rate of $26. Then, as now, many workers in the United States were earning more than the minimum wage. Working conditions were brutal for coal miners, and unionization was violently suppressed. Two Heilwood miners, a father and son, at the end of a days work. It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was primarily used to power steam engines, heat buildings and generate electricity. Farmers could not sell their crops and lost their land, families defaulted on their home mortgage loans, and young people from the region began leaving for the cities to find work and a better life. Cookie Policy Coal mining jobs in Illinois, 1920. The violence is mostly over by 1932, but the conflict continues until 1939. bricklayers, carpenters, masons, smiths 6s. 28 Chinese coal miners murdered by whites in Rock Springs, Wyoming, three years after the passage of the Chinese exclusion act. Chief Women's Club Glassdoor, Although south Wales produced, at its zenith in 1913, 19.7 per cent of total British coal output, it accounted for between 20 and 30 per cent of total British colliery deaths from the 1870s through until the 1930s. She is currently working on a book examining the emergence of energy citizenshipa form of belonging defined by the rights and obligations of energy production, distribution, and consumptionfrom the coal mining workplace in the twentieth century US. During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date. Women also worked underground during the Great Depression, but they so in illegal mines. Martin cites the failure of the Employee Free Choice Act to pass in Congress (which was aimed at removing barriers to unionization), the closure of the last union coal mine in Kentucky in 2015, the loss of retirement benefits for former miners, and the surge in black lung disease as evidence of unions fading power.