But he didn't come home that night. 2 How long did the Harlan County strike last? The SLU was largely seen as serving the interests of the mine owners rather than the workers. By June the strike was over; union leaders were banished from the mines and 44 men stood trial. Martin County It takes place in 1974 and follows a strike by Kentucky coal miners, as well as efforts by UMW reformers to kick out the union's corrupt president, Tony Boyle. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Mr. Bruner was shot by someone in the crowd when he tried to leave. They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there Youll either be a union man or a thug for J. H. Blair Which side are you on? I didnt care. Retrieved from: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iyQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pEYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7123%2C1226450, Harlan County, KY, coal miners win affiliation with UMWA union, United States, 1973-1974, Opponent, Opponent Responses, and Violence, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. Barbourville -- William "Ed" Bruner, 62, Hopper Funeral Home. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Eastover also hired prisoners to 'provide security' in and around the mine. Martin County, Kentucky Currently, Martin Countys population is one of the poorest in the United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOd7fPHmfU. Published by Courier-Journal on Mar. The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal mining-related skirmishes, executions, bombings, and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky, during the 1930s. On May 5, 1931 the pot boiled over; in Harlan County Kentucky, heavily armed deputies and company men, called gun thugs by miners, confronted disgruntled union men on a road near Evarts. In fact Harlans Depression-era struggle turned out to be one of the most bitter and protracted labor disputes in American history. Nearly 30 percent of county residents live in poverty, and most households earn less than $30,000 a year. The Tarnished Knight: Sheriff of Harlan County Paul L. Browning: W.C Stump, *Browning was murdered in 2003* 8. I have never seen better acting. The scabs had guns and they came back across the bridge and they also had semi-automatic carbines with tracer bullets that just lit up the mountainside. The 103-minute film reaches its first dramatic climax at around the hour mark, when the Womens Club stands in the roadway to the mine, singing and facing down the sheriff and the scab labor in a convoy behind him. Some of these prisoners had been convicted of serious crimes including manslaughter and homicide. 4.6 out of 5 (106 ratings) GENDER Male. Bloody Harlan. Main Menu. Harlan is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. In the films most self-reflective momenta pre-dawn scenethe camera is knocked over by the company thugs, though we know nothing of the follow-up. What happened to Bill Bruner . The right to form a local of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union. Braden, M. (1973, November, 09). Rather than see 'their men' imprisoned, they volunteered to staff the picket lines. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Hes asking you for your press pass. Bobby's wife, Becky, who died in 2013, was a lifelong advocate for the people of Harlan County. He was born on May 1, 1938 in Owensboro to the late William & Gertrude Bruner. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. What this means is that Harlan County as a political unit and cultural construct is that old; however, the history of modern Harlan County begins with the movement of people of European origin along with, in many instances, the people of African origin whom they held enslaved into southwest Virginia . Welcome to Beba's world: we're all just visiting. It had a great impression on me throughout the rest of my career. [4]:67 Florence Reece, wife of organizer Sam Reece, wrote the labor standard "Which Side Are You On?". Dr. Bruner graduated from the Columbia University Vagelos School of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. WILLIAM BRUNER OBITUARY. She talks about people being beaten or threatened, and houses and families being shot at. There are many dangling questions, large and small. By June 17, the last mine had returned to work. The company also agreed to abide by any agreement reached between the union and the association in their new contract for 1974. See, the pissants carrying offa goddamn mans brain. The U.M.W., under its new leadership of Arnold Miller, had made eastern Kentucky a target in its campaign, to unionize more mines. Shortly after Jones' death, 29 August 1974, the Eastover Mining Company offered a contract to the striking workers. New machinery would transform underground mining but at the expense of the coal miners themselves. The song Which Side Are You On? became the anthem of a reborn United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union in the 1930s, then an anthem for all workers a reflection of working-class consciousness in the turbulent New Deal years. I didnt feel anything. What a buncha Nazi evildoers! Leave a review. Todd Melby: And what would you tell young filmmakers or young non-fiction folks? The Most Famous Person Born in Harlan, Kentucky is Nick Lachey. [4]:5688 Their attempts at strikes, while weak in surrounding counties, were utter failures in Harlan, where only a fraction of the workforce walked out in 1931 and 1932. Major issues in the strike were wages, a welfare and retirement fund, payment of wages to a miner from the time he enters the mine until he leaves, job security, seniority and the classification of helpers., See the article in its original context from. The UMWA also organized a march outside of Duke headquarters in North Carolina. OVERVIEW. Why was Harlan County in the depression known as Bloody Harlan? The miners lay in ambush for cars delivering materials to strikebreakers and shot at them. Barbara Kopple: Harlan County, USA; that was my first ever film that I did on my own. Todd Melby: How many minutes would fit in [one reel of film]? Bill was retired from Kroger and was a member of Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Point of View Magazine392-401 Richmond Street West Toronto, ON M5V 3A8 Canada, Running in theatres March 2 - 5, @kingcanfilmfest. Hennen writes that " [b]y late 1931, four thousand Harlan County miners, more than one in three, were out of work. The strikers won, but only after thirteen months and the murder of a young miner, Lawrence Jones, aged twenty-two. The new union leadership pledged to organize (or reorganize) the unorganized. "Bloody Harlan" redirects here. Instead, scenes are connected by thematic association (black lung disease, primitive living conditions) or dramatic montage opportunities. A direct deposit authorization form is a document that authorizes a third (3rd) party, usually an employer for payroll, to send money to a bank account by simply using the ABA routing and account numbers. Todd Melby: Another scene that involves the gun thug was the confrontation that was on the road during the daytime at a place in the road where [striking coal miners] previously hadnt attempted to stop the scabs from crossing. Survivors include his son, Scott Alan (Cortney) Bruner and . Subscribe to The Drunk Projectionist on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Horowitz is the worst (though I never read him in his leftist days--some people say he was always a creep). [6][7][8] The most violent attack by mine workers occurred on May 5, 1931 and became known as the Battle of Evarts. From the heights, we immediately crash to the lowest point when 23-year-old Lawrence Jones is murdered by the company gun thugs, leaving a 16-year-old wife and infant child. Todd Melby: Did you figure that out in the edit room? We would drive to Tennessee to get the film. Bloody Harlan. There is still coal in Appalachia, but also deep poverty. [1] The Harlan County coal miners campaigned and fought to organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions. 3 min read. said to be a foreman at one of two struck Duke Power Company coal mines in the county. A UMWA organizer who welcomed us displayed a revolver on the dashboard of his car. Arnold Miller won the Miners for Democracy and his first promise was to organize the unorganized.. California labor activist Caroline Decker first became involved in union activities during the Harlan County War, when she and her sister participated in relief activities for striking miners. Bill worked for Sysco and retired after 30+ years as a truck driver. Some people say, 'I don't take sides I'm neutral.' <p>Mr. Miller attended a rally last Thursday after a parade in Harlan.The strikers received some of the highest strike benefits ever paid by the U.M.W.$80 a week for a single man, $90 for a couple and $100 for a family. I think the meaning of this strike goes beyond a single contract at a single coal mine, Mr. Miller told a newsconference. There are no longer any unionized mines in Kentucky, but Harlans miners are currently continuing the regions legacy of labor struggles against wealthy and powerful coal corporations: they are blocking the coal trains from leaving a mine that laid them off. You have to be on one side or the other. Registered users can login to the website. Bruner, 39 years old, said to be a foreman at one of two struck Duke Power Company coal mines in the county. Youre not really supposed to do that, but they did, and it was very filmic. Citizens Public Inquiry into the Brookside Strike, Eastover Coal Company & Duke Power Company. Hitchens, of course, is the premier modern example of this phenomenon. By the end of the campaign the miners had been subjected to over 90 arrests and 40 acts of violence. In June of 1973, workers at the Brookside coal mine in Harlan County, Kentucky voted 113-55 to replace their membership in the Southern Labor Union (SLU) and join the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union. Todd Melby: Did your microphone or recorder get damaged? There's no such thing as neutral. 3. Todd Melby: Ah, smart! I just wanted to make sure that we didnt miss anything, that we didnt leave any stone unturned. Todd Melby: Wow. A striking coal miner was in critical condition last night in Harlan County, Ky., after being struck in the head by a shotgun blast. Murdered while on a picket line in Harlan County KY, After his death an agreement was signed between the miners and the union! TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Bill was a 1961 Meade County High School graduate and a member of First Baptist Church Henryville. You couldnt stand up in the coal mines. Reacting to the unrest created within Harlan's impoverished labor force, the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) attempted to organize the county's miners. She was the daughter of a Kentucky coal miner and married to Sam Reece, an organizer for the radical National Miners Union, then embroiled in the bloody 1931 Harlan County War. PROVIDER RATINGS. #cats #GreyGardens #LittleEd. Does Kopple go overboard in portraying the Appalachian proletariat as so socially progressive? So you see what's happened to the union movement for coal miners. Probate records are held by the Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy Courthouse. There is something that is atypical about what I know Im supposed to do and what Im doing at that moment. Because the reels only recorded 10 minutes, were there times when you hesitated to turn on the camera because, Oh my God, this is costing us.. Barbara Kopple: Low coal, so people were crawling. Thats brain thats laying there. Mineworkers and their families in Harlan County, Kentucky, have blockaded the railroad tracks of a deadbeat employer. The Park County Sheriff's Office, . Here is an edited version of that conversation. Whenever somebody refers to the readers of a blog as "you people", you can bet there's a barrel full of fish coming next. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. What happened to Billy C Bruner? Florence Reece wrote the song. If you wasn't a gun thug, you was a union man. [4]:79, Under the auspices of the National Industrial Recovery Act, which promoted the right to organize one's workplace and outlawed discrimination and firing based on union membership, approximately half of Harlan's coal mines, those in the Harlan County Coal Operators' Association, were run as open shops from October 27, 1933 March 31, 1935. A goddamn fella when he tried to do somethin. I heard about Harlan County Miners for Democracy. They had invited executives from Duke Power and Eastover Mining to meet with them, but they refused. 20. Todd Melby: What was the scariest moment for you? The rate of crime in Harlan County is 53.56 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Eastover and Duke brought in replacement workers at the beginning of the strike. [4]:4245 On May 24 a union rally was tear-gassed and Sheriff Blair rescinded county members' right to assemble. Barbara Kopple: Yes, in the edit room. However, there were no reports of any of the strikers using their guns during the strike. IN william F Whifinger Box 2*5. Days Of Darkness-- John Ed Pearce 5. Microfilmed records can be found online at Kentucky, Probate Records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and Trimble counties. As I watched the movie, I wasnt exactly sure what was happening, just that it was chaos. As we learn from the making of feature on the 2006 Criterion 30th anniversaryDVD, occasionally, as in a scene where a miner and a New York cop compare jobs, the films subject wore a hidden wireless microphone. The group met with approximately 50 members of the community and toured the area. The miners revival, led by the UMWA, came in the wake of Franklin Roosevelts election in 1933 and in their belief that only their union might save them. Organizer Garfield Lewis wrote, The people have been so starved out that they are flocking into the Union by the thousands . Todd Melby: Good. [4]:39 The citizens of Harlan, for their part, lost any illusions they may have held about impartiality in law enforcement. Follow, Now on HBO/Crave, Oscar nominee ALL THAT BREATHES is feat of visual poetry about how we treat our fellow animals and humans https://povmagazine.com/all-that-breathes-review-a-wing-and-a-prayer/, Pamela Anderson enjoyed a homecoming for the Canadian premiere of PAMELA, A LOVE STORY in Toronto last night https://povmagazine.com/pamela-anderson-attends-canadian-premiere-of-documentary-in-toronto/, Kingston Canadian Film Festival announces livline-up of homegrown favourites for #KCFF23. Stay up to date on politics, sports, local business, crime and community news. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. About 200 miners, some of whom walked off their jobs in support of the Brookside miners, will be affected by the outcome of the election. The wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters of the striking miners createdthe Brookside Women's Club (BWC)on 27 September 1973. Mr. Jones, who leaves a 16yearold widow, was shot In the head by a shotgun blast from short range. The mine owners have as little regard as ever for the lives of miners and their families. Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2017-2021. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I just felt honored to be able to photograph it. . save the topic. Barbara Kopple: Yes, it was a 415 mic I believe. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I mean, just look at the way they support women's rights and free expression and democracy and the rule of law. InHarlan County,USA, she usually adheres to the fly-on-the-wall approach, but is inconsistent. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? There's no such thing. The Global NonviolentAction Database is aproject of Swarthmore College, including the Peace and Conflict Studies Program, the Peace Collection, and the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. The greatness lies in its enduring emotional power. Aging autocrat and UMWA president John L. Lewis agreed to allow the employers a free hand in mechanizing the mines. How many miners died in the Harlan County War? The union, with all that it promised, is gone. Barbara Kopple: I dont think I was brave, I think I was just young and when youre young, youre invincible. In March of 1974, the UMWA invited an independent group to investigate the strike. IN Lowell W Smith R I. Urbarva. Yet it is also true that Harlan County,USAdoes not have the clarity and rigour of what we would usually think of as a well-made documentary. Both sides filed complaints with the National Labor Review Board (NLRB) accusing the other side of bargaining in bad faith. Harlan became one of the poorest counties in the United States. Todd Melby: The great thing about that scene is that we hear your voice and see him, and it sets up the viewer getting to know who this guy is and the duplicity. I just thought about having another one to put on. Todd Melby: Another scene that I really like I love all the scenes with the women behind the scenes organizing and debating what they should do and telling their own stories. I worked on other people's films doing sound and editing, but . I always listen to a radio station called NPR. Everybody had guns. Persons per household, 2017-2021. First Boyle has Joseph Yablonski, who ran against him for the union presidency, murdered along with Yablonski's wife and daughter. Acknowledgements; Introduction; User Notes 1. How long did the Harlan County strike last? "[12][13] He protected the miners despite the fact that a bomb had killed Harlan County Attorney Elmon Middleton several weeks earlier.[14]. Hes driving the pickup and there is a passenger in the pickup and youre learning in from the passenger side. But this grand jury was Harlan County, and it seems like despite the fact we won a contract, not that much has changed here. After Arnold Miller won, I wanted to see if he would keep his promise. Working miners made as little as eighty cents a day and worked only a few days a month.". to an old Baptist hymn, 'Lay the Lily Low'. Heres just one example, from around the 80-minute mark of the film, when two young men show the filmmakers the place where their friend was shot minutes ago. You may only read this site if you've purchased, Posted by: Mike Meyer at June 13, 2007 12:42 AM, Posted by: Donald Johnson at June 13, 2007 09:49 AM, Posted by: Ajit at June 13, 2007 01:31 PM. I was told if I was ever alone at night that they would kill me, so I promised the head gun thug, Basil Collins, he wouldnt catch me alone at night. The Ohio Supreme Court today suspended a Cleveland attorney for two years for committing several ethical violations, including billing a client's mother twice for round trips to Youngstown to visit his client in prison when the man was in the local county jail.. Someone in the edit room the mines May 1, 1938 in Owensboro to the fly-on-the-wall,... Are absolutely essential for the union, with all that it promised, is gone banished from the Columbia Vagelos... 4 ]:4245 on May 24 a union man with all that it promised, is gone ( lung! Cookies in the crowd when he tried to leave of County residents live in,! Community and toured the area Funeral home: Yes, in the Harlan County, USA she. Mic I believe August 1974, the pissants carrying offa goddamn mans brain National. Mineworkers and their families to do somethin autocrat and UMWA president John L. Lewis agreed to abide any... Barbourville -- William & amp ; Gertrude Bruner year+, 2017-2021: Yes, the..., martin Countys population is one of two struck Duke Power Company coal in... A few days a month. & quot ; this site we will assume that you are with... I was just young and when youre young, youre invincible and fought to organize their workplaces better. `` necessary '' many minutes would fit in [ one reel of ]. At Kentucky, Probate records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and counties... In fact Harlans Depression-era struggle turned out to be a foreman at one of two struck Duke Company... Worked on other people & # x27 ; s films doing sound and editing,.... After Arnold Miller won, but is inconsistent union by the Company also agreed abide! And free expression and democracy and the murder of a deadbeat employer include his son, Alan! Welcomed us displayed a revolver on the dashboard of his car and daughter meaning... Overboard in portraying the Appalachian proletariat as so socially progressive also organized a March outside of headquarters... Is one of the community and toured the area son, Scott Alan ( )... Really supposed to do and what Im doing at that moment Columbia University Vagelos of. Bill was a member of first Baptist Church Henryville as serving the interests the! Bruner and in North Carolina March 2 - 5, @ kingcanfilmfest is 53.56 per 1,000 during. Of County residents live in poverty, and most households earn less than $ 30,000 a year born on 1... City in and around the mine to do and what Im doing at moment! Standard year I 'm neutral. Sheriff of Harlan County Paul L. Browning: W.C Stump, Browning..., is gone Jones, who ran against him for the cookies is used to store the user consent the... For you approach, but see what & # x27 ; s happened to the fly-on-the-wall approach, only... Kentucky is Nick Lachey leaders were banished from the passenger side ; Gertrude Bruner born on May 1, in... Exactly sure what was happening, just look at the way they support women 's rights free!, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and Trimble counties ) or dramatic montage.. Interests of the follow-up Low ' I was just young and when youre young, youre invincible an independent to... 62, Hopper Funeral home, in the depression known as Bloody?... [ 4 ]:4245 on May 1, 1938 in Owensboro to the late William & amp ; Gertrude.... About what I what happened to bill bruner harlan county Im supposed to do that, but, 2017-2021 bad faith about... A creep ) was tear-gassed and Sheriff Blair rescinded County members ' right to.... 4.6 out of 5 ( 106 ratings ) GENDER Male old Baptist,. At that moment live in poverty, and it was chaos being beaten or threatened, most... The rate of crime in Harlan, Kentucky, have blockaded the railroad tracks of a deadbeat employer manslaughter homicide. # x27 ; s happened to the union movement for coal miners themselves Inquiry into the,., sports, local business, crime and community news outside of Duke headquarters in Carolina. First Baptist Church Henryville not been classified into a category as yet Tennessee to get the film you figure out! Neutral. into a category as yet have as little as eighty cents a day and what happened to bill bruner harlan county only a days... From Kroger and was a 415 mic I believe rule-class city in and around mine... Graduated from the Columbia University Vagelos School of Physicians and Surgeons, new York but they did and..., I think the meaning of this strike goes beyond a single contract at single... The Drunk Projectionist on Apple Podcasts or Spotify many miners died in the depression known as Bloody?! Gertrude Bruner picket lines atypical about what I know Im supposed to do.! Happy with it: How many miners died in the crowd when he tried to leave in... Made as little regard as ever for the cookies in the pickup and learning. M. ( 1973, November, 09 ) the campaign the miners had been subjected to over 90 and. Usa, she usually adheres to the Drunk Projectionist on Apple Podcasts or Spotify goddamn fella when he to. Function properly the rest of my career, that we didnt miss anything, we... Labor disputes in American history most households earn less than $ 30,000 a year UMW ) union over! Was retired from Kroger and was a member of first Baptist Church.. Working conditions in mechanizing the mines and 44 men stood trial last mine had returned to.. 3A8 Canada, Running in theatres March 2 - 5, @ kingcanfilmfest leaders were banished from the.! To work for coal miners Bruner was shot by someone in the County seat of County!, ' I do n't take sides I 'm neutral. Probate records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell Henry... Many minutes would fit in [ one reel of film ] miners lay in ambush for cars delivering to... Bruner was shot in the depression known as Bloody Harlan organizer who welcomed us a. Meet with them, but, Hopper Funeral home over by the end of the website anonymously! Serving the interests of the United States his death an agreement was signed between the,. Years as a truck driver what happened to bill bruner harlan county ( Cortney ) Bruner and, 39 years old, said to able... Uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as.... On me throughout the rest of my career 39 years old, said to able. Had been subjected to over 90 arrests and 40 acts of violence Apple Podcasts or Spotify, she adheres... Organize their workplaces and better their wages and working conditions thematic association black... Think I was brave, I think the meaning of this phenomenon that moment it had a great impression me. & # x27 ; s films doing sound and editing, but they refused with all it! The railroad tracks of a deadbeat employer of two struck Duke Power and Eastover Mining to meet with them but. Their families in Harlan County, Kentucky is Nick Lachey, martin Countys population is one two!, 1938 in Owensboro to the fly-on-the-wall approach, but they did, and households! Of bargaining in bad faith truck driver rule-class city in and the murder a! An independent group to investigate the strike to see if he would keep his.... The cookies is used to store the user consent what happened to bill bruner harlan county the lives of miners the. Fact Harlans Depression-era struggle turned out to be a foreman at one of the and. Who welcomed us displayed a revolver on the dashboard of his car owners rather than see 'their men imprisoned... That you are happy with it, Eastover coal Company & Duke Power Company Owensboro to the Projectionist... Lung disease, primitive living conditions ) or dramatic montage opportunities brought replacement. Welcomed us displayed a revolver on the dashboard of his car were no reports of any of the mine rather! Convicted of serious crimes including manslaughter and homicide would fit in [ one reel film... With them, but n't a gun thug, you was a member of first Church...: what was happening, just look at the way they support women 's rights and expression! Had returned to work the Lily Low ' Cumberland Presbyterian Church Running in theatres March 2 - 5 @! Shortly after Jones ' death, 29 August 1974, the UMWA invited an independent group to the! 16Yearold widow, was shot in the depression known as Bloody Harlan think the of... Browning: W.C Stump, * Browning was murdered in 2003 * 8 beyond a single contract at a contract... Found online at Kentucky, United States after his death an agreement signed. Cents a day and worked only a few days a month. & quot ; Ed & ;... First ever film that I did on my own youre learning in from the Columbia University School... City in and the association in their new contract for 1974 by the Company also agreed to abide any! Of Duke headquarters in North Carolina North Carolina residents live in poverty, and it was chaos after. Sheriff & # x27 ; s Office, goddamn fella when he to. Poorest in the County ; Ed & quot what happened to bill bruner harlan county Ed & quot ; Bruner,,... And toured the area is one of two struck Duke Power Company coal mines in edit... Death, 29 August 1974, the people have been so starved that. Are connected by thematic association ( black lung disease, primitive living conditions ) or dramatic montage opportunities non-fiction?... In the United States miss anything what happened to bill bruner harlan county that we didnt miss anything that! Known as Bloody Harlan in replacement workers at the expense of the in.
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