The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-17
MAY DECLARE STRIKE
BAD OUTLOOK IN PENNSYLVANIA
COAL REGION.
OPERATORS MUST MEET THEM
WILL SUSPEND WORK AT ANTHRA-
CITE MINES OTHERWISE.

The Chief Demand of the Miners Is
for Recognition which the Oper-
atOrs HIVE Heretofore Refused.
Resolutions Adopted Auth hOrizing
Executive Committee to Declare
Strike Unless Operators VIII Agree
to n Joint Conference April L.
Hazleton, Pa, March i6-By unanimous
vote the delegates to the United Mine
Workers Convention, which has been in
session in this city for nearly a week,
to-day decided to suspend work at all an
thracite mines, unless the operators
agreed to meet the miners executive
board in joint conference before April 1.
A strike seems inevitable.
The operators have steadfastly refused
to recognize the miners as a body, and
there is not the remotest indication that
the operators will pay any attention to
the demands made by President Mitchell
and other members of the executive board
that they meet the miners in joint confer
ence to adjust grievances.
The resolution authorizing the National
EASCuILVe OOdTu 70 uSclaIe slAlhS -
as follows:
Whereas, we have on several occasions
invited and implored the operators to
meet with us in joint conference to mu-
tually agree upon and establish a scale
of wages and conditions of employment
for the term of one year, and
Whereas, they have repeatedly ignor-
ed our invitations and treated US with
contemptuous silence, scorning our in
vitations and demands alike, and
Whereas. we believe that we are en-
titled to much more consideration than
we receive and are fully entitled to meet
with those who employ US, and are our
equals under the law and constitution of
our country, and with them discuss and
decide matters of mutual interest; there
fore, be it
Must Meet With Miners.
Resolved, That we authorize our ma
tional president, national board and Of
ficers of district One, Seven and Nine, 20
negotiate if possible, for a joint con-
ference of miners and operators between
this date and the first of April, 1901. In
the event of their failure to secure a
joint conference they may by majority
vote, decide the policy of our movement,
even if it is necessary to resort to a sus-
pension of work to force the justice due
US s producers of wealth fully equal with
our employers"
The convention adjourned after the adop-
tion of the resolution, and President
Mitchell and the officers of the three an
thracite districts held a secret conference
at which plans were discussed for bring
ing about the desired meeting between
opera ators and miners. 1t was decided that
President Mitchell and the presidents of
the three districts would mold another con-
ference at Scranton on Monday, wnen
their plans will be completed.
President Mitchell left for Scranton to-
night, and will make that city his head
quarters for the present.
Strike Probable, Says Mitchell.
In an interview he admitted the prob
ability of a strike, but said he would
prefer to make no definite statement in
that respect pending the negotiations. He
said, however, that the delegates were a
unit in their approval of the action taken
Regarding our chances for success, I
prefer not to talk" said Mr.. Mitchell.
1.-The conventions action shows what the
mine workers believe their chances to be.
Every one said last fall that the miners
would not win. yet they won. Words
cannot express how we regret being forced
to take such a step. The miners union
stands for peace, but peace upon a firm
foundation"
The most important demand which the
miners make. 1t is said, is recognition of
their union, which was not INSISTED upon
during the strike last year and uniform
wage scale.
In order to bring about the latter con-
dition slight advance, it is said, will be
asked for by the men In the Lehigh,
Schuylkill and Wyoming regions. Consid-
cradle bitterness has been engendered
among the delegates by the refusal of the
mine workers to confer with them, and
many of them claim that last years s
Scranton agreement has been violated by
the employers. On this account they as
sert their determination 10 insist on a
proper adjustment of their grievances.