Western Federation of Miners Constitutions on Microfilm

The Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was referred to as a radical union for the mines in the western United States and British Columbia. It worked to organize hard rock miners and smelter workers and often that caused conflict. Cripple Creek district in 1903-04 was one of these, also referred to as the Colorado Labor Wars. WFM was also a key player in founding the Industrial Workers of the World in 1905, but, left that organization several years later.

WFM changed their name to the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers (Mine Mill) in 1916. In 1935 they helped to found the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). They were expelled from the CIO in 1950 during post-war red scare for refusing to shed its communist leadership. After years of fighting off efforts by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) to raid its membership, Mine Mill and the USWA merged in 1967.