06/27/2022
STRIKE letter written by A.S Embree
Bisbee, Arizona, June 26, 1917
Grover H. Perry
Phoenix, Arizona
Fellow Worker:
Enclosed find demands made on the companies’ here today. These demands were drawn up by the executive committee (Sullivan, Payne, Webb, Davis, Embree) this morning and were presented to the three big companies about one o’clock.
Sherman, manager of the Copper Queen refused to hear anything from the committee, tore up the typewritten copy of the demands we gave him and threw the pieces in the wastebasket. We were not able to find the management of the C & A company, and left demands with Goring’s secretary, notifying him that if we did not hear from him by phone by five o’clock, we would consider they had refused the demands. Shattuck told us that he hoped he could settle differences with his own employees individually, but that he would have nothing to do with the I.W.W.
A special meeting of the branch was held in the hall at three o’clock at which the executive committee made their report. The meeting endorsed the action taken unanimously, and called a mass meeting to be held at the City Park for seven in the evening.
The mass meeting was a success beyond our expectations. The speakers were all mud diggers who got up at a minute’s notice and rivaled Bill Cleary at his best. By the way, we gave Cleary a chance, without begging him, to speak, but he gracefully declined. It was the biggest crowd we have seen yet in the park, and they seemed to be pretty solid with us. We dwelt on the necessity of going out while Butte was still on strike and while Globe and Miami were ready with their demands.
After the meeting one hundred odd applications were filled out and cards issued, and another special meeting was held in the hall at which pickets were appointed to take charge of each of the shafts and urge men to keep away form the work. The way the bunch volunteered for picket work would make you feel good. Some of them even insisted in going to the change rooms to catch the night shift coming off work. We did not consider it good policy to attempt to pull of the might shift as we were not organized for it, and we were afraid if we tried and did not make a good job of it, it would have a bad effect on our work in the morning.
Before I forget it. I want to impress on you the need of stamps, application blanks and cards, in case you have forgotten them. Kimbell has been using the Spanish blanks after he ran out of the others.
The executive committee is still on the job (two a.m.) and will be working till noon before we can see a chance of getting away for a rest. Yes, and a mass meeting at the park had been called for one, so we will only one hour to sleep. We have sent wires to the papers, to Haywood and all the branches we thought necessary.
Sherman went down in all the Queen shafts tonight and talked to the men. The work they are d**g underground tonight is stulling and cleaning up and taking out the tools. Several shift bosses are coming out with us. The only pumpman working at the Shattuok is out. The engineers are no to be counted on, but we think if we can get them to frame up demands for themselves, it will be possible to get most of them.
The Mexicans are almost a sure bet, as we are demanding a minimum of $5.50 for all topmen. Kimbell got hold of a good man for organizer among the Mexicans and he is on the payroll. We could not wait to consult you as it was necessary to get immediate action. Six kids, nippers on Sacramento Hill, cam up to the hall and asked what we wanted them to do. They said they would picket all the others and would help with the Mex.
We wired Sheriff Wheeler to take care of the bootleggers and told him all the information we could so as to put them out of business
Wednesday, 4 p.m.
As you have already been informed by phone the calling out of the day shift this morning was a great success. Many men were turned back on their way to the shafts by our pickets, and each squad had a captain whose place it was to report the number of men who went to work at each shaft, it did not take us long to get a line on them. The total number normally reporting for work at each of the shafts is 2700. The number reported by our pickets as going on shift is about 540. This would leave just under 2000 men who decided to stay with us. We expect a still better percentage from the night shift as we have been drilling them all day and had a splendid mass meeting again at one o’clock in the park, all the speakers mud diggers.
I am rushed for time, so cannot give further details and cannot touch just now on other points you referred to.
Yours for Revolution,
A.S. Embree
