Thomas L. Lewis (1866 – May 1, 1939) was a
miner and president of the
United Mine Workers of America
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...
(UMWA) from 1907 to 1911.
Biography
Born in
Locust Gap, Pennsylvania in 1866, Lewis worked in the mines as a boy. He later helped found the United Mine Workers in 1890.
He first ran for the presidency of UMWA in 1898 against
John Mitchell, but withdrew before a vote could be taken. He became vice president of District 6 under
William Green. When Mitchell fell ill in 1907 and was unable to control the UMWA convention, Lewis led an attack on him and won the presidency. He fought off challengers in 1908, 1909 and even Green himself in 1910, although he was forced to rig elections in the latter two campaigns.
Although Lewis stacked the organizing staff of the Mine Workers with his political supporters and turned the union's journal into a propaganda organ supporting his presidency, he did not retain leadership of the union after he signed regional wage agreements in 1909 and 1910 without the consent of the affected district presidents. He was defeated in 1910 by
John P. White. He ran again for the presidency of the union in 1912, but lost.
After leaving the union, he became an anti-labor consultant for coal operators in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
, published a coal operators' trade journal (the ''Coal Mining Review''), and helped found the
National Coal Association
The National Mining Association (NMA) is a United States trade organization that lists itself as the voice of the mining industry in Washington, D.C. NMA was formed in 1995, and has more than 300 corporate members.
History
The National Mining As ...
. According to Winthrop Lane, Lewis also served as Secretary of the New River Coal Operator's Association.
Death
Lewis died in
Charleston, West Virginia on May 1, 1939.
See also
*
Michael Ratchford
*
John Mitchell (United Mine Workers)
John Mitchell (February 4, 1870 – September 9, 1919) was a United States labor leader and president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1898 to 1908.
Background
John Mitchell was born in 1870 in Braidwood, Illinois, a second generation ...
*
John Phillip White
*
John L. Lewis
John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the d ...
References
*Fink, Gary M., ed. ''Biographical Dictionary of American Labor.'' Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 1984.
*Lane, Winthrop, ''Civil War in West Virginia: A Story of the Industrial Conflict in the Coal Mines'', NY: B. W. Huebsch, Inc., 1921.
*Phelan, Craig. '' William Green: Biography of a Labor Leader.'' Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1989.
External links
United Mine Workers of America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Thomas
Trade unionists from Pennsylvania
American coal miners
Presidents of the United Mine Workers
People from Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
1866 births
1939 deaths