The history of labour strikes in the American mining and quarrying industries is long, very complicated and in many cases tragic. I certainly don't claim to be that well informed about it.
But whilst entering the limestone quarry of the Western Stone Company in Joliet, Illinois, I came across this interesting article from the Lemont Area Historical Society. (well I think it is :)) It is perhaps a microcosm of what went on.
http://www.township.com/lemont/historical/PixPages/Quarries/Quarry4.htm In case anyone wonders the photo wasn't filched from the site.
🔗Western-Stone-Company-Limestone-Quarry-Archive-Album-Image-45655[linkphoto]Western-Stone-Company-Limestone-Quarry-Archive-Album-Image-45655[/linkphoto][/link]
EDIT.
This is an interesting site. Depends on your interests of course.
http://quarriesandbeyond.org/
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.