The Labor Movement
Any account of the evolution of mining in Arizona would be incomplete without including the contribution of organized labor unions. The first Arizona mining attempt to organize or join a national labor organization occurred in Tombstone in 1884. When the Grand Central and Toughnut mines announced a pay cut from $4 to $3 per day, the miners protested, organized and joined the Knights of Labor. The mine managers responded by firing the miners and shutting down the mines, a common practice of the period. Despite support from miners in Bisbee and Globe, the miners could not survive without jobs. As a result, the strike failed.

The next confrontation occurred in 1896 when the Old Dominion mine in Globe reduced wages twice in a six-month period, and then began hiring Mexicans to replace Anglo miners. The miners waged a strike, joining the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). This time, the affiliation was successful, and the WFM, from its base in Globe, spread into the mining camps of the territory. In 1903 when the territorial legislature passed a bill making eight hours the standard for underground miners, the miners at Clifton-Morenci struck in protest when the companies reduced wages proportionately. The strike collapsed when the Territorial Militia and Arizona Rangers moved in and arrested the strike leaders.

The struggle between mining companies and organized labor became more aggressive in 1905 when a new, militant, communistic union, the Industrial Workers of the World (the I.W.W. or Wobblies), came into existence. The years between 1905 and 1920, especially during World War I, were marked by bitter conflict. Deportation of I.W.W. members from Jerome and Bisbee in 1917 virtually ended the union's effectiveness in the state.

Underground mining was hard on man and beast alike. Until electricity became cheaply available, miner and mule labored together to move rock to the surface. A good example of the bond that developed is a popular poem from the period, "My Sweatheart is a mule in the mine."

Photo Courtesy Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum

In 1916 in an effort to better indicate its membership, the WFM changed its name to the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers, which today remains the miner's union. Much of the strength of the union was eradicated with the passage in 1947 of the Right-To-Work measure by the Arizona Legislature.

Arizona companies lead the United States in copper production, with approximately 65 percent of the copper produced in this country coming from Arizona mines.

Modern Mining
Since the 1950s relations between mining companies and organized labor have improved. Possibly the best example of this changed relationship is the cooperative agreement that currently exists between Magma (now BHP Copper) and its workers. Additionally, Phelps Dodge is now changing many of its non-union hourly workers to salaried status, thus creating more flexibility, improving benefits, reducing levels of supervision and empowering employees. This new “team” concept of working is creating a more productive, unified workforce.

Today, copper mining is still one of the big “C's” in the economy of Arizona, along with cotton and cattle. Arizona companies lead the United States in copper production, with approximately 65 percent of the copper produced in this country coming from Arizona mines. Although the declining richness of the ore has dictated changes in equipment and refining techniques, the mining industry of Arizona continues to be a significant contributor to the state's economy.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
	Suggested Reading
	Glossary of Selected Names and Places

End Notes
¹ J. Ross Browner. Adventures in the Apache Country: A Tour Through Arizona and Sonora. 1864. (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, Re-edition, introduction by Donald M. Powell, 1974), p. 76.
² A. W. Gressinger. Charles D. Poston, Sunland Seer. (Globe Arizona, Dale Stuart King, Pub. 1961), p. 34.
³ Victor S. Clark. "Mexican Labor in the U.S." (Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Bulletin #79, 1908), p. 477.

ACknowledgements
Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources
Arizona Historical Foundation
Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
Sharlot Hall Museum Library/Archives
University of Oklahoma Press