Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 09/Joe Haskins

Overview
Joe Haskins was a white Rig-builder who grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania. As an adult he moved out into Oklahoma where he became a Rig builder. As a Rig builder he unionized to fight for better pay and working conditions.

Early Life
Joe Haskins was born in the 1890s in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. He was one of four sons, all of which are also named Joe. He never made it past the 3rd grade in his educational career, His father (also named Joe) was a moonshiner while his mother's profession is unknown. His father would occasionally play a game with his sons in which he would pretend to a revenue officer coming to arrest them. The sons then had between 5 and 10 seconds to run away into the woods. He claimed his father would allegedly shoot at them while they ran, although he later said he might have exaggerated the story.

Personal Life
Sometime in his adulthood Joe moved away from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma. Joe was the father of four kids: Joe, Leon (nicknamed Greb), Ruby, and Tuffy. Marrying and having kids was one of the most influential decisions he made in his life. He stated that “When a rig builder marries a woman, he’s got to start thinking like a human ”

Joe Haskins promoted education throughout his whole family. He firmly believes that everyone should have a chance at a good education so that they can do what they want with it. This belief was likely fostered by the fact that he himself never made it past the 3rd grade. His oldest son Joe was going to business School in Oaklahoma City which Joe Haskins supported, but worried money would dry up before he finished. This was a common fear and problem during the Great Depression. His second oldest son Greb dropped out of High school and began working as a Rigbuilder like his dad. This is something that Joe Haskins regrets letting happen, and when talking about his youngest son he stated that "I aint going to let him quit like I let Greb do ."

Professional Life
Joe’s only known occupation was as a rig builder, which he likely worked as until he retired. During the Great Depression Joe joined the Congress of Industrial Workers (the CIO) ; A Labor Union formed in 1938 that fought for better working conditions and pay for industrial laborers (scabs). Through these actions, Joe was able to increase pay from 5$ a day to 11$ a day as well as forcing most employers to offer workers compensation. These added benefits to workers by unions helped promote a better working enviroment and support worker health.

The Rise of Unions during the Great Depression
At the dawn of the 1930s, the power of labor unions was waning. Almost all unions were Organized under the American Federation of Labor (the AFL) and membership was at a decade low. 1933 saw a shift in the influence of Labor Unions in the United States following the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act in Congress. This law, followed by the Wagner Act in 1935, allowed for good faith collective bargaining between employers and Union Members. This coincided with increased Union membership and the formation of new Union organizations including the CIO, a group that splintered off from the AFL.

The rivalry between the CIO and AFL
One fundamental issue is when unions should only craft (skilled) workers or industrial (unskilled) workers. The AFL was originally formed for craft workers which would usually exclude industries such as steel. John L. Lewis, an influential figure in mine unions, started pushing for industrial workers to be organized as well, he created the CIO inside of the AFL. This rift between craft workers and industrial workers would cause a split between the CIO and the AFL with the AFL expelling all 8 member unions of the CIO out of the AFL.

Both union organization’s membership ballooned during the Great Depression, coinciding with their increased influence. The CIO would often take more drastic (and effective) measures when trying to achieve their goals. The CIO runs scabs out of towns and holds strikes across the nation. As the US joined World War II, both unions agreed not to disrupt production with their strikes. After World War II with a wave of anti-communist fears sweeping across the US, both unions saw a decrease in their support and influence. The two organizations would end up joining back together in 1955, forming the AFL-CIO 7.