Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-05
SUSPENSION
is IMMINENT
THERE IS NO LIKELIHOOD OF
TROUBLE ON THE IOWA
MINERS WAGE SCALE.
MEETING POSTPONED
Miners and Operators VIII Meet at
Des Mones March 24-Death >.
Benifit Increased
To 5000.

While strike may not be imminent
it is generally conceded that a srs-
pension Of business will result from
the failure Of the miners and opera
tors to get together on an agreement.
All of the mines in district No. 10 of
the Mine Workers union will be af-
fected by result Of the meeting to be
held by the operators and miners in
joint session.
Miners of District No. 10 want the
contract changed SO that when wage
disputes are being adjudicated they
will not be forced to be idle awaiting
a settlement.
John P. Reese of Abba, represen-
tative of the operators, stated that
there would be at least several
changes made in the agreement or no
agreement would be adopted. The
miners object to these changes
In this case the mines will be closed
indefinitely, or until some agreement
| Is reached.
Mr.. Reese Talks.
Mr.. Reese stated, "The operators
will demand better control OF their
property. They will demand that they
have right to hire whom they please
and no one else, They will also demand
that they have the right to discharge
a man at any time for just cause. OF
| course no one will be discharged be-
| cause he is union man or will not
live in company house or for things
of this nature. But we want the right
to discharge q man who does not do
his work or who persists In laying off
after pay day. Furthermore If a mine
Is closed by local union in violation
| to the agreement, the union must pay
us for the time and money we lose.
| These things will have to be agreed
to il We make an agreement"
1t is not believed that the union
| will agree to these demands and
trouble is imminent.
| There will be no trouble as to
| wage as this matter is settled by the
| meeting in Indianapolis and both
miners and operators will agree to
their scale"
| Meet March "a.
| Representatives of the miners and
of the operators meet in Des Moines
March "a to prepare new agreement
AS the result Of their deliberations
will depend on the action of the meet
ing at Indianapolis which will take
place March IL and as IL will take them
a month to prepare a new scale, the
miners and operators mere will not be
able to reach an agreement until the
latter part of April and the first OF
May. In the meantime the mines will
be closed.
1t is practically certain that there
will be trouble between the miners
and operators. The operators viii
make demands that it is understood
that the miners will not agree to.
A meeting was arranged to have
been held at Des Moines March II
but owing to the failure of the Indian
apolis meeting to reach an agreement
the Iowa meeting has been postponed
until March "a Local operators ant
miners are both agreed that a sus
pension of the mines is very probable
throughout district No 10.
Death Benefit.
Beginning April /, Iowa mine work
ers families will receive the sum o
$500 in case Of the accidental o.
violent death of a supporting member
One hundred dollars is now given tt
the Iowa district and the Nationa
body has elected to pay one hundred
dollars benefits in all Of It's district.
The state Of Illinois has recent,
adopted the iowa Plan" as our bene
lficiary idea is known throughout tn,