Men died due to the typical mine accidents such as fires, cave-ins, gassings, and falls, but the greatest threat of all was miners' consumption (medically known as phthisis or Silicosis).

The poor working conditions pushed the miners to organize, and when the Walker Brothers at the Alice Mine and A.J.

The men who were no longer members of the Butte Miners' Union went on to create smaller craft organizations.

In a show of strength in 1887, laborers threatened to lynch the superintendent of the Bluebird Mine in which they would end up winning full recognition of the closed shop.

The miners' struggle in the Coeur d' Alene district of north Idaho witnessed the strength of the BMU when they were sent thousands of dollars in relief funds.

On May 15, 1893, forty delegates from fifteen regional unions, met at Butte and formed the organization that would represent the interests of these miners.