This is the third unit to the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course which focuses on a specific, controversial, political issue. The unit analyzes the concept of political maintenance by studying the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) between 1918 and 1975 and its fight to secure mine safety standards. A documentary approach represents the core of instruction in this 12th-grade unit which is divided into five activities. The first activity introduces students to the structure of mines and various mining safety problems in order to grasp the meaning of the issues and problems with which the UMWA, as a political system, must deal. Activity 2 studies the organization, structure, and growth of the UMWA in the 20th century. Throughout activity 3, students relate the miners' idea of union legitimacy to the concept of political maintenance. Activity 4 examines how the union has been maintained over time by the use of such political devices as control and mobilization. Activity 5 focuses on how union interdependence with other organizations and governments also contributes to political maintenance. The activity requires students to speculate about the future of the UMWA. Each activity contains the necessary student materials and student discussion questions. (Author/DE)