https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/upton-sinclair/king-coal
King Coal is the first book by Upton Sinclair that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. It’s a great example of socialist propaganda, and I mean that in a good way, like Ayn Rand’s “evil” twin. The story itself is gripping, and it’s based on real events.
There’s no denying that workers lived miserable lives in the early 20th century, and this book captures the spirit of that time perfectly. One of the miners’ core demands was an eight-hour workday, something that sounds perfectly reasonable today. But now imagine someone pushing for a four-hour workday. There’s no perfect number of hours, and social norms are stubborn things to change.
The author clearly pushes for labor unions and takes aim at capitalism, but the real problem in those company towns was monopoly. As usual, the issue is about control, the ability of one group to dominate another. At that scale, labor unions, governments, and big business are all capable of being just as cruel and dangerous. There are no good guys when power gets that concentrated.