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Writer's pictureGreg Nesteroff

Slocan City Miners’ Union ribbon sells for $1,003

A rare ribbon from the Slocan City Miners’ Union went for $719 US ($1,003 Cdn) this week in an eBay auction. The starting bid was $200 US and seven people were willing to pay more than that.


The seller was in Albuquerque.


“W. F. of M.” stood for Western Federation of Miners, which had at least 22 locals in the Kootenay-Boundary. In the United States the union had a reputation for militancy, but it did not really carry over to BC, despite some bitter strikes.


Such ribbons were issued to all members. They were reversible, with the colourful front side to be worn at union meetings and the black backside to be worn at funerals, of which there were far too many at the turn of the 20th century, since mining was very dangerous.


These ribbons are now quite rare, highly prized by collectors, and command high prices. While many fraternal organizations produced similar ribbons, the ones bearing the names of miners unions’ have a special cachet. I’ve only aware of five others that have sold on eBay and the last one was eight years ago.


The first, from Phoenix, sold in 2003 for $760 US (the equivalent of $1,292 US today or $1,805 Cdn). Then one from New Denver (seen here) sold in 2010 for the relative bargain of $192.49 US ($277 US today or $388 Cdn). Also in 2010, a Rossland ribbon went for $552 US ($794 US today, or $1,112 Cdn). In 2011, another Slocan City ribbon sold for $599.69 US ($838 US today, or $1,173 Cdn.) And finally, a second Phoenix ribbon sold in 2016 for $725 Cdn (the equivalent of $964 today). It was incorrectly described as being from Phoenix, Arizona (as was the first ribbon, until the seller corrected the listing).


A few years ago, I came across a list of WFM locals somewhere, along with their dates of organization. To my immense frustration, I can’t find it anymore. But from other online WFM documents, I was at least able to create a list of local locals, seen at bottom. Several comments first:


• The WFM formed in Butte, Montana in 1893. Prior to this, miners’ unions were established in Nelson and Ainsworth in 1891. The Nelson union doesn’t appear to have survived the year but the Ainsworth one lasted through at least 1897. It built a hall and talked about opening a hospital, but I’m not sure if that came to be. Ainsworth did not affiliate with the WFM, near as I can tell.


• The first WFM local in the area and reportedly in Canada was organized in Rossland in 1895. Many other places started to come on board starting in late 1898 to support legislation for an eight-hour work day. The WFM had 265 locals in Canada and the United States as of 1909. In 1916, the WFM changed its name to the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (better known as Mine, Mill).


• The WFM recycled its local numbers. At least, that is the only thing that would explain why Phoenix was Local 8 and Greenwood was Local 22 despite the fact they were organized after Rossland, which was Local 38. (Although I haven’t figured out who previously had Nos. 8 and 22.) Silverton was originally Local 71 but around December 1899 became Local 95 and Moyie was chartered as Local 71. No idea why. Moyie then consolidated with Kimberley in 1912. Northport Mill and Smelter’s No. 115 was also reassigned to Jackson, California by 1903 for reasons unknown.


• Except for the Moyie-Kimberley merger, I found no other trace of any locals formally dissolving. They just sort of vanished in the wind. Some were short-lived, some lasted into World War I (and then possibly joined the One Big Union in 1919), and at least a couple were still going in the 1930s. Trail was one of the last to form (it was assigned Local 105, previously held by Socorro, New Mexico as of 1903) and the last survivor. Mine, Mill represented workers at the Trail smelter until it merged with the United Steelworkers in 1968.


• In 1904, the WFM decided to no longer represent coal miners and arranged for the Fernie, Morrissey, and Michel locals to be switched to the United Mine Workers of America, along with locals in Lethbridge and Frank, Alta. The UMWA then organized other coal-mining towns between Fernie and Lethbridge. (WFM locals thereafter represented only hard rock miners and smelter workers.)

LOCAL

NAME

ORGANIZED

LAST MENTION

8

Phoenix

>October 1899

December 1917

22

Greenwood

>November 1899

April 1918

38

Rossland

July 16, 1895

December 1919

43

Camp McKinney

>April 1901

June 1902

62

Slocan City

Nov. 15, 1899

November 1907

69

Kaslo

>May 1900

January 1908

71

Moyie

>December 1899

April 1919

76

Fernie

>March 1902

1904

79

Whitewater

>September 1900

October 1903

81

Sandon

Dec. 5, 1898

January 1930

85

Ymir

>May 1899

January 1939

95

Silverton

>April 1897

May 1920

96

Nelson

April 1899

February 1919

97

New Denver

Nov. 10, 1899

December 1903

100

Kimberley

>September 1900

November 1919

105

Trail M&S

>1907

1968

115

Northport M&S

>1901

1901

119

Lardeau

May 1901

November 1906

120

Morrissey

>September 1903

1904

166

Michel

>July 1902

1904

180

Grand Forks

>October 1903

March 1913

194

Camborne

July 15, 1903

August 1907

227

Marysville M&S

>July 1909



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