Mother Jones Foundation

Today in Labor History September 23, 1913: The United Mine Workers of America began the first of a series of strikes which would escalate into the Colorado Coalfield War. Miners were fighting the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) for safer working conditions and better pay. From 1884 and 1912, Colorado miners averaged 6.81 deaths per every 1,000 miners, a fatality rate over double the national average of 3.12. However, two mine explosions in 1910 brought the state mining mortality rate to above 10, triple the national average. Due to jury tampering by the company, Rockefeller was never held accountable and never had to pay out any settlements. CF&I virtually owned the political apparatus of Colorado. The company registered every one of its employees to vote, even non-citizen immigrants and company mules, in a tactic that would make today’s Republicans blush. The Colorado Coalfied War lasted over the next two years and resulted in up to 200 deaths, including over 37 soldiers and private cops working for Rockefeller. The war included the Ludlow Massacre, when National Guards massacred at least 19 people living in a tent colony, including 12 children and three women. In retaliation for this unprovoked massacre, armed miners attacked mines, killing scabs, destroying property, and fighting National Guard troops. It was possibly the bloodiest labor dispute in U.S. history. Rockefeller used both Pinkertons and Baldwin-Felts private detectives to protect scabs and intimidate striking miners. They would attack mining camps with machine guns mounted on a car dubbed the “Death Special.” The authorities repeatedly jailed Mother Jones, who had come to support the strike. During one arrest, miners tried to free her but were repelled by National Guards. On the first day of the strike, she said during a speech: "Rise up and strike! If you are too cowardly, there are enough women in this country to come in here and beat the hell out of you."

Read my full article on the Ludlow massacre here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/20/the-ludlow-massacre/

Read my article on the Pinkertons here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/04/union-busting-by-the-pinkertons/

Image: National Guardsmen with a M1895 machine gun on Water Tank Hill, an elevated position that overlooked the Ludlow tent colony, 1914.

Organize❤️

The CFL Organizing Institute is back!

📍 Chicago Federation of Labor
🗓️ January 27-30, 2026

Need more information? Contact Marcus Shepherd, [email protected].

I act because I love humanity ❤️

Rich People Carsie Blanton · Rich People · Song · 2022

Veterans of the labor movement were reinvigorated by the unwavering spirit of Mother Jones, a powerful reminder that collective action drives lasting change.

Sharon and James Goltz who came all the way from Mt Olive in Illinois to attend the festival, the resting place of Mother Jones, are presented with a portrait of Mother Jones by Ann Piggott of the Cork Mother Jones Committee at the plaque.

James, who is active in the Mother Jones Museum and at the Miners Cemetery in Mt Olive helped to arrange and participated in the historic zoom call with Cecil E. Roberts the President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), during the recent festival. We wish to thank President Roberts also for participating in this unique event.

President Roberts is the great grandson of Ma Blizzard who was a very good friend of Mother Jones during the Coal Wars in America at the turn of the 20th Century.


Mother Jones Monument
IrishCentral.com
United Mine Workers of America
SIPTU
Nolan's Butcher Shandon Street Cork City
Karan Casey
Christy Moore