Family background and childhood; miners' organizations in England and United States before 1900; life of a typical miner; organizational work with United Mine Workers, Western Pennsylvania and Michigan, 1899-1917; struggles of United Mine Workers, 1899-1940; John L. Lewis; visits to England and Russia, 1927; United Mine Workers and American Federation of Labor, 1918-1935; emergence of new Congress of Industrial Organizations, 1935-1941; posts and activities with Congress of Industrial Organizations, 1935-1941; relations of Congress of International Organizations and American Federation of Labor, 1935-1955; national director, Industrial Union Councils, 1940-1947; wartime labor relations boards, 1941-1945; Philip Murray's Industrial Council Plan; opening conference, World Federation of Trade Unions and International Labour Office, 1945; International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 1949; comments on labor's view of socialism, the New Deal, Communists and the labor movement, the Department of Labor, future of the labor movement. Impressions of labor figures: William B. Wilson, Samuel Gompers, William Z. Foster, Philip Murray, Sidney Hillman, William Green, Walter Reuther, Lee Pressman, Frances Perkins, Maurice Tobin
Labor unions--Officials and employees; Miners--Labor unions; Labor laws and legislation; Trade associations; Labor unions--Political activity; Labor unions and communism; International labor activities; New Deal, 1933-1939; United States Politics and government 1933-1945; Brophy, John, 1883-1963; AFL-CIO; United Mine Workers of America; International Labour Office; World Federation of Trade Unions; International Confederation of Free Trade Unions; United States. Department of Labor