Mine Owners' Association facts for kids
A Mine Owners' Association (often called an MOA) is a group formed by different mining companies in the United States. These groups come together to protect and promote their shared interests. Sometimes they are called MOAs, but they might also be named after a specific area, like the Cripple Creek District Mine Owners' Association.
Mine Owners' Associations were often created to stop workers from forming unions. They also dealt with issues related to companies that owned smelters (where ore is processed) and railroad lines. This was tricky because some mine owners also owned these other businesses.
Contents
A Look Back: How Mine Owners' Associations Started
Before the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was formed, smaller groups of miners didn't pose a big challenge to mine owners. Organizations like the Knights of Labor had little power. Miners who asked for better working conditions or higher pay were often fired. Local unions trying to make changes were easily forced out of mining areas.
Secret Agreements and Early Associations
During a strike in Leadville, Colorado, around 1896-1897, mine owners made a secret agreement. They decided not to recognize the local union or talk with them. This agreement was later discovered in a report by the Colorado State Legislature.
Mine owners took another step and formed a Mine Owners' Association in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This happened in the 1880s because of union organizing there. A serious conflict between miners and mining companies in Coeur d'Alene in 1892 led to the creation of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) in 1893.
Mining companies in Colorado also joined together during a labor struggle with the WFM in 1894. This happened again during the Colorado Labor Wars in 1903. However, not all mining companies in the Cripple Creek District were fully united, even during the 1903-1904 strike. Just like in Coeur d'Alene, some mining companies in Cripple Creek that tried to make deals with unions were forced to shut down by military action.
By the late 1890s and early 1900s, Mine Owners' Associations were created in many cities and states across the western United States.
Colorado Mining Groups
The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) was started in 1876 and officially became a corporation in 1897. It still exists today.
In March 1902, several mine operators helped create the Colorado Mine Operators' Association. They were motivated by a WFM union organizing effort in Telluride and other parts of Colorado. Twenty-seven members started the group. Many of them were from Idaho Springs, where the WFM was strong.
Mining operators in the San Juan mountain area of Colorado formed the San Juan District Mining Association (SJDMA) around 1903. This was a direct response to the WFM asking for an eight-hour workday. The new association brought together the power of thirty-six mining properties. These were located in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan counties.
The SJDMA gave itself the power to stop any of its members from agreeing to shorter hours or higher wages with the miners' union. This firm decision helped create difficult conditions. It led to a series of tough strikes throughout Colorado's mining communities.
How Mine Owners' Associations Handled Unions
Mining companies often hired special agencies. These included the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. These agencies would send agents to watch, join, and try to disrupt unions or their organizing efforts.
The MOAs sometimes gave out work cards to miners. To get a card, miners had to agree to not be part of a union. State-level MOAs made it possible to create a "blacklist" of union miners across an entire state. This meant union members might not be able to find work. MOAs also sometimes asked state or federal leaders to send military forces. These forces, like the National Guard or federal troops, would go into strike areas.
Historic Mining Associations by State
Colorado
- Cripple Creek District Mine Owners' Association
- Telluride Mining Association
- San Juan District Mining Association
- Colorado Mine Operators' Association
Modern Mining Associations Today
In 1995, mining companies in the United States joined together to form the National Mining Association (NMA). This organization works to represent the mining industry in Washington, DC. It has more than 325 company members.
The Bituminous Coal Operators Association represents coal mining companies. They negotiate with the United Mine Workers of America, a large union for miners.
See also
- Charlie Siringo
- Mining in the United States
