Matewan
In 1920, the only thing that mattered in the small mining town of Matewan, West Virginia, was The Stone Mountain Coal Company. The Stone Mountain Coal Company played the role of schoolyard bully and it ruled the playground with an iron fist. For the inhabitants of Matewan, the mines of the company were the only option. Because the mines were all the existed in the small town of Matewan, the men were forced to work the mines in order to survive. However, because the mines were the only option, the company had complete control over the town’s inhabitants, and even it’s economy. Because it was the only option for work, they were capable of manipulating the way the town functioned. Through the use of company script, or credit, the coal company was able to regulate all purchases made by its employees. Instead of paying them with official American currency, they paid their employees in store credit. By using this form of payment, the coal company could ensure that all purchases made in the town of Matewan would be made from The Stone Mountain Coal Company. Because of this, all possible competition was destroyed, thus creating a monopoly. On top of that, the citizens of Matewan were prisoners in their own town. Not only were they forced to purchase Stone Mountain products, they were also unable to move to another town due to the lack of funds to start a new life. However, there was a select group of individuals who refused to stand back and watch their town be controlled by the white-collar corporate officials of The Stone Mountain Coal Company. That is where the union comes in.
For many years, the coal company had maintained the status quo of the town through the use of extortion and hired henchmen. Unwilling to be bullied around any longer, the local miners hope to disrupt the status quo of the town by unionizing, thus creating a shift in power. Through a union, the miners would be able to gain power and justice in their small town of Matewan, West...