"Sudy" Gates

Historically, one of the most exploited workers has been the miner. This was especially true during the Great Depression when finding any other job was difficult. The working conditions for miners above and below ground were terrible. The hours were long and the pay was dismal. The industry owned everything around the mines including the miners' homes. The miners' families were even forced to patron the company store which sold overpriced living necessities that could be bought on credit. After paying high prices for housing and other living expenses every month, the miner could actually find himself owing his employers money. Children were sometimes brought into the mines to work alongside their parents to try and make up the difference.

The coal fields in Harlan, Kentucky, had some of the worst working conditions in the country. After...