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Start Over Date range 1995 Names Kafton, Karl
West Virginia and Regional History Center

Gordon L. Swartz III, Oral History with Karl Kafton, United Mine Workers of America Leader

0.06 Linear Feet 1 folder, 0.75 in.

This is an oral history interview conducted by Gordon L. Swartz III featuring Karl Kafton, a West Virginia coal miner and active member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union. Kafton shares his parents' story of immigrating to the United States from Ukraine in the early 20th century and his father's experiences working in coal mines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He describes his childhood in a predominantly immigrant mining community, his experiences in grade school, and leaving school early as a teen to serve in World War II. Kafton also discusses how various pieces of labor legislation passed throughout the 20th century shaped trade unions in the US. In addition to sharing his experiences working in West Virginia coal mines, he also describes the dynamics of interracial and multi-ethnic collaboration in union organizing efforts. Kafton talks at length about the inner workings of UMWA, critiquing and comparing the practices of leaders like John L. Lewis, Sam Church, Arnold Miller, and Tony Boyle. Kafton also describes his involvement in the Miners for Democracy movement within UMWA, campaigning for Joseph Yablonski, and aiding in the investigation of Yablonski's assassination. Swartz initially recorded the interview on two cassette tapes and later digitized the recording onto 3 CDs. The run time for the interview is around 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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Gordon L. Swartz III, Oral History with Karl Kafton, United Mine Workers of America Leader 0.06 Linear Feet 1 folder, 0.75 in.

This is an oral history interview conducted by Gordon L. Swartz III featuring Karl Kafton, a West Virginia coal miner and active member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union. Kafton shares his parents' story of immigrating to the United States from Ukraine in the early 20th century and his father's experiences working in coal mines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He describes his childhood in a predominantly immigrant mining community, his experiences in grade school, and leaving school early as a teen to serve in World War II. Kafton also discusses how various pieces of labor legislation passed throughout the 20th century shaped trade unions in the US. In addition to sharing his experiences working in West Virginia coal mines, he also describes the dynamics of interracial and multi-ethnic collaboration in union organizing efforts. Kafton talks at length about the inner workings of UMWA, critiquing and comparing the practices of leaders like John L. Lewis, Sam Church, Arnold Miller, and Tony Boyle. Kafton also describes his involvement in the Miners for Democracy movement within UMWA, campaigning for Joseph Yablonski, and aiding in the investigation of Yablonski's assassination. Swartz initially recorded the interview on two cassette tapes and later digitized the recording onto 3 CDs. The run time for the interview is around 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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