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Mike Trbovich
Mike Trbovich
Mike Trbovich
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Mike Trbovich (November 19, 1920 – June 24, 1989)[1] was a miner and labor union activist in the United Mine Workers of America, AFL-CIO, in the 1960s and 1970s. He was elected as vice president of UMWA in 1972, serving under Arnold Miller until 1977.

Of Eastern European descent, Trbovich had a high school education, and worked as a coal shuttle operator in Pennsylvania for much of his life. An active member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), he rose to prominence in District 5 (which covered Pennsylvania) under reformer Joseph "Jock" Yablonski in the 1960s. He was among the organizers of Miners for Democracy (MFD), founded in 1970 after the assassination of Yablonski in December 1969.

Yablonski electoral challenge

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In December 1969 Joseph "Jock" Yablonski challenged autocratic UMWA president W. A. Boyle for the presidency of the union, after pushing for reform for years. Trbovich was one of Yablonski's most ardent supporters, and managed his campaign. In the December 9 election, widely seen as fraudulent, Boyle beat Yablonski by a margin of nearly two-to-one. While he hung on to power, it was the first time since 1920 that incumbents had less than 80 percent of the vote, or that an insurgent had campaigned for the office.

Yablonski conceded the election, but on December 18 asked the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to investigate the election for fraud. In addition, he filed five civil lawsuits against the UMWA, on specific charges related to actions against him and failure to run a fair election.

On December 31, three gunmen, ordered through other levels by Boyle and paid with union funds embezzled by Boyle, fatally shot Yablonski, his wife, Margaret, and their 25-year-old daughter, Charlotte, as they slept at their home in Clarksville, Pennsylvania.

A few hours after Yablonski's funeral, Trbovich, Yablonski's sons (Kenneth and Joseph "Chip" Yablonski, both labor attorneys), and several other miners who had supported Yablonski, met in the basement of the church were the service was held. They met with attorney Joseph Rauh and organized a reform caucus to be called Miners for Democracy (MFD). Their immediate goal was to keep Yablonski's election-related lawsuits alive.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Labor and US Attorney General ordered a full-out investigation of the election; more than 200 DOL investigators were assigned. Concluding there was fraud, DOL petitioned a federal district court to overturn the election. On January 17, 1972, the United States Supreme Court granted Trbovich permission to intervene in the DOL suit as a complainant, which allowed him and supporters to keep the election fraud suit alive.

Miners for Democracy

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Miners for Democracy (MFD) formed in April 1970 while the DOL investigation continued. Anticipating that a new election would be ordered, members of the organization began campaigning as its potential presidential candidates, including black-lung advocate Arnold Miller, Trbovich, and miner Elijah Wood.

On May 1, 1972, Judge William Bryant threw out the results of the 1969 UMWA international union elections. Bryant scheduled a new election to be held over the first eight days of December 1972. Additionally, Bryant agreed that DOL should oversee the election, to ensure fairness.[2]

Over the weekend of May 26 to May 28, 1972, 800 MFD delegates from 16 UMWA districts gathered in Wheeling, West Virginia. Miller and Trbovich both sought the group's endorsement for president, with Trbovich the leading candidate going into the convention. But by Sunday, Miller had been elected MFD's presidential candidate, receiving 70.9 votes out of to Trbovich's 57.1 votes. As a consolation, Trbovich was elected the group's vice presidential nominee, receiving 84.1 votes. Harold Patrick, national co-chairman of MFD, received 76.4 votes to win the secretary-treasurer nod.[3]

Miller had triumphed over MFD insider Trbovich after a speech by UMWA District 17 president Jack Perry, who had conducted much lobbying for him. Perry had been a founding member of the Logan County Black Lung Association. According to Cecil Roberts, then an MFD supporter and president of UMWA in 2001, "...Arnold Miller's election as UMWA president in 1972 was largely attributable to Jack's impassioned lobbying of MFD convention delegates to support Miller."[4]

Many delegates believed that Miller had a better chance of winning the election than Trbovich. Some miners held discriminatory views toward people of Eastern European ethnicity, such as Trbovich, who comprised a later wave of 20th-century immigrants in the industry; while others felt he was too militant. Miller, meanwhile, already had a strong base in the black-lung movement, as he had been a leader in it.[5] Trbovich was bitterly disappointed.[6]

On December 22, 1972, the Labor Department certified Miller as UMWA's next president. The vote was 70,373 for Miller and 56,334 for Boyle. Trbovich was elected as UMWA's vice president.

First Miller administration

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Miller proved to be a weak president. He was markedly indecisive, changing his mind repeatedly and putting off decisions. Eventually, the reform movement he led began to stall.[7]

Miller staffed his team with a number of young campaign staffers. These individuals had filled critical roles in the presidential campaign, but their lack of mining background alienated other, more conservative leaders such as Trbovich, who described them as "leftwing radicals from New York and Boston..."[8]

Miller's first major defeat came in early 1973. For the first time in UMWA history, the executive board proposed and debated a budget. Miller budgeted $14 million for organizing, additional safety staff, and government relations. But he soon lost control of the council meeting to Trbovich. He was unable to obtain a motion to cut off debate or hold a vote, and the meeting ran for 14 days. In the end, the board cut $2 million from Miller's budget.[8]

In 1974, Trbovich led another executive board rebellion against Miller. After lengthy and acrimonious debate, the board voted to cut the Miller-proposed budget for organizing and political activity by a third.[8]

Trbovich subsequently accused Miller of financial mismanagement, and filed charges with the U.S. Dept. of Labor against the president. Miller described the charges as "politically inspired", and they were eventually found to be without merit.[6][8] In retaliation, Miller took away Trbovich's supervision of the union's safety division.[6]

Trbovich continued to attack Miller the following year. In early June 1974, Trbovich circulated a letter among UMWA's board of directors accusing Miller—and, to a lesser degree, Patrick—of gross financial mismanagement. He accused Miller of overspending and paying raises to staff who contributed little to the union's mission. He reiterated charges that Miller had let the union fall into "radical" hands.[6]

Miller denied the charges, and counter-attacked. He accused Trbovich of keeping a public relations consultant on the payroll for six weeks longer than necessary, forcing Miller to fire her. The board's meeting turned into a shouting match between Miller and Trbovich. By that time, Trbovich had the support of 16 of the members on the board and an opposition slate was forming to challenge Miller in the 1977 presidential election.[6]

During the Bituminous Coal Strike of 1974, Trbovich continued to snipe at Miller from the bargaining council, where he criticized Miller's proposals and tentative agreements. Miller's troubles continued into 1976 and 1977. At a meeting of United Mine Workers locals in northeastern Pennsylvania in early May, Miller and Trbovich engaged in a shouting match in front of the members. "This union is on the verge of financial disaster!" shouted Trbovich. Miller snapped back: "That's a damn lie and you know it!"

Immediately after the meeting, Miller suspended Trbovich for insubordination. He said that Trbovich had refused to investigate financial and management problems in the union's organizing programs out West. The union's board of directors reinstated Trbovich in late May. Then the board, led by Trbovich, cut $3 million from Miller's proposed $13.9 million budget. In February 1977, as Congress debated surface mining reclamation legislation, Trbovich led a revolt of 15 board members. Despite Miller's support for a ban on surface mining, the letter opposed the new legislation and suggested a state-by-state regulatory approach instead.[8][9]

Second Miller term

[edit]

By the end of 1977, Miller's popularity had significantly waned. Some rank-and-file miners had signed a petition calling for his resignation.[10]

So that elections would not interfere with collective bargaining talks at the end of the year, UMWA's elections were moved to June. The 1977 election was a three-way race. Opposing Miller were secretary-treasurer Harry Patrick, running on the MFD ticket; and executive board member Lee Roy Patterson, running as head of the faction associated with former president Boyle, who was serving three life terms for the murders of the Yablonski family.[11][8]

Trbovich did not run for the presidency after members ridiculed his claims that communists and radicals secretly controlled the Miller administration. Instead, he backed Patrick.

Miller won re-election with 40 percent of the vote. But he emerged too weak to control the union's executive board and bargaining council; they voted for a national strike in December.[8][11][12]

Elected as vice president was Sam Church, a former Boyle supporter and local president who became a field representative and then international representative in the Miller administration. When Church punched a former UMWA staffer in a dispute over a leak to the press, Miller asked Church to be his running-mate.[5]

The 1977 race ended Trbovich's political role in UMWA. He drifted away from union politics and the union.

Notes

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References

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Mike Trbovich

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from Grokipedia
Mike Trbovich is an American coal miner and labor union activist known for his leadership in the Miners for Democracy movement that reformed the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in the 1970s. A rank-and-file miner from Pennsylvania, he coordinated Jock Yablonski's 1969 reform campaign for UMWA president and helped found Miners for Democracy after Yablonski's assassination, co-leading its northern faction to challenge the corrupt administration of Tony Boyle. In 1972, Trbovich ran successfully as vice-presidential candidate on the Miners for Democracy slate alongside Arnold Miller for president and Harry Patrick for secretary-treasurer, winning election in a U.S. Department of Labor-supervised vote that ousted Boyle. The reform administration democratized union structures, strengthened safety and organizing programs, and negotiated the 1974 national contract that delivered substantial gains in wages, cost-of-living adjustments, pensions, sick pay, and safety protections for coal miners. Trbovich's career stands as a significant example of rank-and-file insurgency in American labor history, demonstrating how grassroots reform efforts could transform a major industrial union amid widespread militancy over workplace safety, black lung compensation, and democratic governance. His work with Miners for Democracy helped channel miner discontent into lasting institutional changes within the UMWA.

Early life and background

Birth and family origins

Mike Trbovich was born on November 19, 1920, in Hecla, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA. His parents, George Trbovich and Mildred Vuchinich, were both born in Yugoslavia, reflecting his Eastern European family origins. He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, enlisting on May 27, 1942, and receiving his discharge on February 8, 1946.

Early work as a coal miner

Mike Trbovich worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania for much of his life prior to his union activism in the 1960s. He was employed as a shuttle car operator in the coal mining industry, a position documented in the 1950 United States Federal Census when he resided in Jefferson, Greene County, Pennsylvania. This work took place in the western Pennsylvania region covered by United Mine Workers of America District 5. His long-term employment in coal mining established his firsthand experience with the industry's conditions and labor issues before he became prominent in reform efforts.

Union activism and reform efforts

Involvement in UMWA District 5

Mike Trbovich was an active member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in District 5, which encompasses Pennsylvania, during the 1960s. Following layoffs in the coal industry in 1959, he secured a position as an examiner with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's Bureau of Traffic Safety—a role he obtained with assistance from UMWA reform figure Joseph "Jock" Yablonski—and remained there until the late 1960s. In the late 1960s, Trbovich returned to coal mining near his hometown despite earlier blackballing by operators due to safety disputes. Upon resuming work in the mines, he quickly assumed leadership in his local union, first as vice president and then as president. During this period, he emerged as a reform supporter within District 5. He had a long-standing association with Jock Yablonski dating to the late 1950s.

Campaign support for Jock Yablonski

Mike Trbovich served as campaign manager for Joseph "Jock" Yablonski's 1969 challenge against incumbent W. A. "Tony" Boyle for the presidency of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). As a close ally and ardent supporter, Trbovich helped coordinate the reform campaign, which sought to address allegations of autocratic leadership and lack of internal democracy under Boyle. The election took place on December 9, 1969, with Boyle declared the winner by a substantial margin. Yablonski was defeated by approximately 33,000 votes in a contest characterized as nearly two-to-one. The election was later overturned by a federal judge on grounds of massive vote fraud and financial manipulation. Yablonski conceded the results but immediately pursued remedies, requesting a United States Department of Labor investigation into fraud allegations on December 18, 1969, and filing lawsuits against the UMWA on multiple related charges. Trbovich, as Yablonski's former campaign manager, filed the initial complaint with the Secretary of Labor that prompted the government enforcement action under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act to set aside the election.

Founding role in Miners for Democracy

Response to Yablonski assassination

Following the assassination of Joseph "Jock" Yablonski, his wife Margaret, and their daughter Charlotte on December 31, 1969, which was later traced to orders from United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) president Tony Boyle financed through embezzled union funds, Mike Trbovich joined other Yablonski supporters in organizing a continued reform effort. Trbovich, who had helped coordinate Yablonski's 1969 campaign in Pennsylvania, met with Yablonski's sons and additional supporters in the aftermath of the funeral to form Miners for Democracy (MFD) in April 1970 at Clarksville, Pennsylvania. The group was established as a formal opposition caucus to challenge the Boyle administration and pursue litigation alleging fraud in the 1969 union election that Boyle had won. Trbovich assumed leadership of MFD's northern faction from the outset, reflecting the movement's division between Pennsylvania-based and West Virginia-based reformers. These early efforts focused on exposing corruption and building rank-and-file momentum for democratic changes within the union. Trbovich emerged as a key figure in the legal campaign to invalidate the disputed 1969 UMWA presidential election, actively seeking to intervene in the U.S. Department of Labor's Title IV suit against the union for numerous violations of federal labor law. On January 17, 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Trbovich permission to intervene in the ongoing litigation, ruling that individual union members could participate in such suits under appropriate circumstances to ensure adequate representation of their interests. This decision strengthened the reform efforts by allowing direct member involvement in challenging the Boyle administration's control. On May 1, 1972, U.S. District Judge William B. Bryant voided the 1969 election results, finding substantial evidence of fraud, intimidation, and other irregularities that violated the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. The ruling set the stage for a new, federally supervised election to restore democratic processes within the UMWA. At the Miners for Democracy nominating convention in Wheeling from May 26 to 28, 1972, Trbovich vied for the presidential nomination but Arnold Miller was selected as the presidential candidate. Trbovich secured the vice-presidential nomination, forming the reform slate alongside Miller and secretary-treasurer candidate Harry Patrick. The Miller-Trbovich-Patrick ticket campaigned on promises of greater democracy and accountability, capitalizing on widespread discontent with the incumbent leadership. In the Department of Labor-supervised election held in December 1972, the reform slate prevailed decisively, with Arnold Miller receiving 70,373 votes to Tony Boyle's 56,334 votes. This victory marked the culmination of years of rank-and-file activism and legal pressure, enabling Trbovich to assume the UMWA vice presidency.

Vice Presidency of the UMWA

Election and early tenure

Mike Trbovich was elected vice president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in December 1972 as running mate to Arnold Miller on the Miners for Democracy reform slate that defeated the incumbent administration. The U.S. Department of Labor certified the election results on December 22, 1972, enabling the new leadership to take office. Trbovich served as vice president from 1972 to 1977 under President Miller. In his early tenure, Trbovich initially supervised the union's safety division as part of efforts to prioritize mine safety improvements following years of reform campaigning. This role aligned with the administration's focus on addressing longstanding safety concerns in the coalfields. Growing tensions with Miller emerged during this period but remained limited in scope initially.

Internal conflicts and policy disputes

During his tenure as vice president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), Mike Trbovich frequently clashed with president Arnold Miller over Miller's indecisiveness and the heavy influence of his appointed staff on union decision-making. These tensions manifested in repeated rebellions by Trbovich and his allies on the international executive board against Miller's administrative proposals, including significant reductions to proposed budgets for organizing, safety, and related activities in 1973 and 1974. Trbovich made accusations against Miller and his staff, including claims of radical influence, which culminated in a public confrontation at the September 1976 UMWA convention. There, Trbovich's speech accusing staff of being “socialistic, revolutionary and Communistic” was poorly received, with delegates shouting him down, calling for an end to politics, and fistfights breaking out; this severely damaged his standing within the union. In June 1976, Miller briefly suspended Trbovich for insubordination following ongoing disputes, though the executive board reinstated him shortly thereafter. Trbovich also voiced criticism of Miller's bargaining approach during the 1974 national contract negotiations. In February 1977, as Congress debated surface mining legislation, Trbovich led a revolt of executive board members opposing the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, favoring state-level regulation instead. Trbovich ultimately chose not to seek re-election in 1977, following his weakened position after the 1976 convention controversies.

Later years and withdrawal

Post-1977 activities

Following the end of his term as vice president of the United Mine Workers of America in 1977, Mike Trbovich largely withdrew from national union politics and leadership roles. The 1977 UMWA presidential election marked a key transition point, where Trbovich supported Lee Roy Patterson's unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Arnold Miller in a three-way race that also included Secretary-Treasurer Harry Patrick; Miller secured re-election with approximately 40% of the vote. No major activities or involvement in UMWA affairs are documented in available sources for the subsequent years, reflecting his shift away from active participation in union matters. Trbovich died in 1989.

Death

Mike Trbovich died on June 24, 1989, at the age of 68. This marked the end of his life following years of reduced public involvement after his departure from union leadership in the 1970s. No further details about the circumstances of his death are documented in available sources.

Legacy

Contributions to union reform

Mike Trbovich emerged as a pivotal leader in the Miners for Democracy (MFD), the grassroots reform movement that challenged corruption and autocratic control within the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) following the 1969 assassination of reform candidate Joseph "Jock" Yablonski. Having served as Yablonski's campaign manager during the 1969 presidential election against incumbent W. A. "Tony" Boyle, Trbovich coordinated reform efforts in Pennsylvania and helped lay the groundwork for continued opposition to Boyle's administration. After Yablonski's murder, Trbovich became the first National Chairman of MFD, which formally organized in April 1970 in Clarksville, Pennsylvania, to sustain the push for democratic change and union reform. He led the northern faction of the movement, based in Pennsylvania, while Arnold Miller headed the southern faction in West Virginia, highlighting regional divisions that MFD had to navigate. Trbovich was instrumental in sustaining post-assassination legal challenges to the 1969 election fraud, serving as an intervenor in the key election suit (Civil Action #662-70), which MFD joined after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January 1972 permitted their participation. These efforts culminated in a federal court ruling that overturned Boyle's 1969 victory due to vote fraud, paving the way for a supervised rerun election. MFD leaders resolved factional tensions at a unifying conference and nominated a single slate, with Trbovich selected as vice-presidential candidate alongside Miller for president and Harry Patrick for secretary-treasurer. In the December 1972 Department of Labor-supervised election, the MFD slate defeated Boyle's incumbents, securing control of the UMWA for reformers and representing a landmark achievement in union democratization. Trbovich's involvement extended to broader reform goals, including advocacy for improved health and safety standards, pension fund reforms, and greater district autonomy within the UMWA. Despite persistent internal divisions and challenges within the reform ranks, his leadership helped secure structural changes that shifted the union toward greater rank-and-file participation and transparency.

Appearance in Harlan County U.S.A.

Mike Trbovich appeared as himself in the 1976 documentary film Harlan County U.S.A., directed by Barbara Kopple. He is credited in the film as Vice President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). His appearance connects to his tenure in UMWA leadership, as the documentary addresses broader coal industry labor struggles and union representation issues. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 49th Academy Awards in 1977. It was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1990 as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Trbovich's role in the documentary is minor relative to his career in union leadership, with his credit reflecting a limited on-screen presence amid the film's focus on local miners and organizers.

References

  1. https://labornotes.org/2023/01/what-todays-union-reformers-can-learn-miners-democracy
  2. https://stansburyforum.com/2022/12/15/miners-for-democracy-50-years-on-back-to-the-future
  3. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1757
  4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Trbovich-10
  5. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/544456548/
  6. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/25/archives/rival-of-miller-suffers-a-setback-in-speech-at-mine-union-parley.html
  7. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/assassination-of-activist-in-1969-changed-unions/article_bbd16129-b63e-57c2-9e82-c3a1e96df870.html
  8. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/404/528/
  9. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1976/3/20/the-yablonski-legacy-pbibn-the-early/
  10. https://inthesetimes.com/article/uaw-umwa-coal-miners-union-labor-strike-democracy
  11. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1816
  12. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/344/17/2303340/
  13. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/02/archives/umw-election-of-boyle-is-upset-by-federal-judge-judge-overturns.html
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/16/archives/boyle-is-ousted-by-miners-votes-after-long-fight.html
  15. https://reuther.wayne.edu/files/LR000589.pdf
  16. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/23/archives/mine-chief-ousts-proboyle-group-miller-dismisses-20-hostile.html
  17. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/23/archives/2-departures-end-an-era-for-mine-union.html
  18. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/jefferson-pa/rose-trbovich-10211211
  19. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55924
  20. https://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/barbara-kopple
  21. https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
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