Evening journal., 1903-09-09
WRIGHT FINDS
FOR OPERATORS
Recently Appointed Umpire
Describes Five Grievances
for the Coal Miners
The R!GHI 10 DISCHARGE MEN


tween the operators and miners rep
resentatives on TIE board of concili-
alton. appointed upder the provisions
Of the anthracite mine strike commits
sion. has filed his findings with I. d.
Nichols, secretary of the board. Tho
dealing with the question Of employ
ers rieht to discharge men for any
cause other than that of competition
With a labor union, Umpire Wright
agrees wholly with the contentious
Of the operators representatives, and
declares that the right of an employer
to discharge without giving the cause
Of the discharge is sustained by the
award OF the commission. AS to the
rockmen's dispute, the umpire says
/ they do not come under the ID.
/ The complaint of Thomas Tanner is
not sustained in regard to the allie
/ gations of discrimination on the part
! 81 the Lehigh Coal and Navigation
! Company and Coxe Bros. & Co. He
says that these companies should take
back old men, instead OF putting on
new men, in all cases where the old
mon are competent and have not been
convicted Of or not awaiting trial for
crime committed during the strike.
The umpire's findings cover 25 pages
Of typewriting. The resume prepared
by the Cancellation board for the press
reads as folloVs:
Grievance No. II - Complaint OF
! Thomas Fanner that he was receiving
/ less wages for 10 hours per day than
he had received for a 12-hour day pre-
vious TO the strike
He received previous to the strike
/ s1.sS per day for 70 hours. On April
LIST his hours were reducedEfrom 12
to 10. and his wages to s177-per day
Tho s1.77 per day includes an advance
of II 10 of a per cent. Of his former
hourly rate of wages
The miners representatives on the
/ board claimed that he was entitled to
/ the same days wages of 10 hours as
he had formerly received for 12.
The umpire decided that mo injus-
tice had been done Mr.. Tanner. His
employers have IN his case carried'out
the provisions Of the award of the
anthracite coal commission"
The petition OF Thomas Tanner,
therefore, is not sustained.
Grievance No. S-Claim of discrimi-
nation against Coke Bros. & Co. by
employees who we're not reinstated
when work was resumed. as per agree
ment signed by the superintendent Of
the company.
Mentioning one complainant named.
Harry Brosius, the umpire says: II
iipd that in the case Of Harry Brosius
Coke Bros. ought to give him employ
meQt"
Grieyance No 10-Complaint of dis
crimination and blacklist of employees
of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company. who were not reinstated at
the ending of the strike.
The umpire decides that II has not
been shown that the men were dis
criminated against on account Of mem
bership of the union. but he is of
the opinion that discrimination existed
against a small number of men, and
makes the statement:
"What the motive Of the discrimi-
nation has been 1t is impossible to
4
, ion as in the case OF Coke Bros. &
n Co. that the Lehigh Coal and Navi-
e cation Company ought TO give prefer
4 ence to all their old men-those EN-.
Q ployed prior to the strike-who have
not been convicted of crime commit
: ted during the strike, or are not now
a under arrest awaiting trial, or are not
: incompetent. OF have not been guilty
OF misdemeanor to render their. en-.
ploYment undesirable. The terms oi
the submission and the language OF
the award under It make this conclu
e sion inevitable"
" Grievance No. 45-Complaint OF un
y Just discharge OF William Mowry
IS against the Philadelphia and Read
: ing Coal and Iron Company.
: Leading up to the final award, the
umpire says;
Taking the rslings OF the court
the assertion of the anthracite Goa
strike commission. the clauses in tbs
u agreement made by and with The
= United Mine Workers OF America,
. whether on the one side or the other
there can be no doubt that a mar
70 has n right to quit the service Of his
IT employer whenever he sees 1T, will
lt OF without giving any cause provided
o he gives proper notice. and that the
Y employer has a perfect right 20 EN-
:. ploy and discharge men in accordance
" with the conditions Of his industry
lc that he IS not obliged 10 give an,
H. cause for discharge, but that hI
Ie should as IN the reverse case, Civ
ID proper notice
Z. "This right 10 discharge must, there
4, fore. be sustained. Any other viey
=, Of the case would result In compelling
N men to- work for an employer whei
le they did not wish 20. and thus enslav
,r them. when, on the other hand. !
l. would compel employers to- emplo
le mcn whether the men we're incompe
% tent or not. and would thus stagnat
business and work 70 the injury O
n all other employees"
Grievance No. 62-Complsint OF Ioh
Bowin and Richard Roderick. contrac
w tors for driving rock tunnels, etc
II against the action Of their employe
e under the award Of the anthracite Goa
y strike commission: the employees hav
ing gone on. strike, demanding the Il
: per cent. advance in wages as granted
to contract miners. The umpire decides
% follows:
1T Is therefore decided that contrae-
tors driving rock tunnels sinking
-t-ft- ..,H ,f1.a~ afr,ffar rvnrE mt he.