1902 Anthracite Coal Strike. In May 1902, 150,000 mineworkers struck for six months for union recognition, higher wages, shorter hours, and other demands. The Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, set up by President Theodore Roosevelt, held hearings at the Lackawanna County Courthouse and granted some demands in March 1903. Among the longest in U.S. history, the strike introduced unbiased federal intervention in labor disputes.