 Lankton also noted that the company was willing, when necessary to "control labor management relations", to use "coercion, covert manipulation, armed deputy sheriffs, or mass firings.Calumet & Hecla strived to create ideal communities around its mines and mills, in the hope that pleasant living conditions would help the company maintain a loyal and productive workforce.Historian Lankton wrote that In an era and an industry known for hard working conditions, the Michigan copper companies treated their employees better than most