Page 79 - William H. "Bull" Marah - Still Fighting

ISSUE : Issue 72

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1997/6/1

William H. "Bull" Marsh continued from page 12 ...And that was me--I instituted that one. And then, ironically enough, when I went president of the union, they said, "The districts'11 be tied up all the time." And I stopped them! Because anybody knows how to start them knows how to stop them. See. And we never ever had a legal strike at all. I was opposed to them. Now I know that there's certain areas where you have to have strikes--I know that. There's certain places where proba? bly you might need it--I don't know. No, I don't even know where there's any places that--if you've got a good leader, a good strong one. Who's prepared to fight. Go in there and fight. Verbally, mentally, phys? ically- -any way. He's got to be prepared to fight--to lead. They're not prepared to do that today. They'll take the money and they'll take the salary, they'll take everything that goes with it. But they're not prepared to give the leadership. They're scared politically. Eh?... I used to get in more fights in the hotel rooms with the (guys whose) idea of lead? ership was to blame everything on the com? pany. They thought I was soft because I figured that if you blame everything on the company, the men are going to suffer. That it's better for to get along with the company. Then it's better for the men. Then it's going to be better for the com? pany if it's better for the men because then the men'11 be more productive. They'll be happier, eh? You get a man that's voluntarily cooperat? ing with you--you know what I mean? And trying to give you his best. Man alive-- money'11 never buy that. That's why Tom Kent was so successful, and the production You Always Get a Break at Robin's 519 Grand Lake Road, SYDNEY was iso good when Tom Kent was there. They broke every inter? national record that was going, (when) Kent was there.... Oh, we won-- every year we won. We never gave--Bill bangs on the table-- anything. Nothing. Even '" the bad It''" years. Even when we didn't gain as much as what we thought we could, we didn't give up anything. You know the only time we gave up some? thing? We gave up an increase in the price of coal (that is, the price charged to the coal miners themselves) . And you know who CeCric InreRDArionAC PesrivAt PcACuRing: NacaOc OOAcODAsrcR • Ashtey CDacIs'ac "Che 5arra OOAcNeiCs • OD&Ry; )Ane LAmond LeAhy • CApcRCAiCCie • ShARon Shannon Shoog(eni(Xy • (JJ&ceRSon;: C'RChy And mdny moRC Op the CLIorW 8 pnesc Cetac PcRpORmcRsl Come CeiCiclh (JUirh (Jsl Ocro6eR9-ia 1997 Done miss Che opening conccRC on Oct. lOch And rhe CJRAnd CeiOdh on Oct 18ch Ac CcncRc 200 Ph. (902) 562-6700 lil [email protected]( 79

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