New-York tribune., 1909-04-20
MAY BE MINE LOCKOUT
OPERATORS ARE FIRM.
Committee Says WOrkers UuSt Sign
Commission agreement.

A definite policy toward the anthracits mine
workers, who are now working without agree
ment on account Of the deadlock over the question
of recognition of the union. decided on yester-
day at meeting Of the committee OF eleven ap-
pointed in this city for the purpose at general
meeting of anthracite operators
The anthracite mineworkers representatives. IL
was said. must sign the agreement under ths
award OF the anthracite strike commission or thers
viii be either lockout or a reduction of wages TO
what they were before the award of the anthracits
strike commission 4 return TO the conditions be-
fore the award would also mean a longer workday.
II was stated that though the operators allowed
conditions to remain the same as under the agree
ment which expired on March g. they are not
legally bound to and could declare these con-
ditions at end time but they have waited 70
give the miners the last chance OF signing a re-
newal of the agreement for three years. On Thurs
day. 1t was said the opera -ors will ratify the plan
adopted by the committee of eleven which will
present its report and give the anthracite nine
workers 10 May 1 TO decide before putting ft into
effect
While all the coIlieries are open full time and
it vas stated at the Offices of the Delaware Lacka-
wanna & Western that its miners are working full
time at its collieres. il said that in the
coeries of some of the other companies the min
ers- who are waiting to see what course the lead
ers Of the union viii finally adopt. are not mining
much coal
The meeting Of the COMMITTEES was held at No
Coal and Navigation Company chairman Of ths
committee. presiding A representative OF the ep-
orators said
The committee viii make its first report to the
operators on Thursday. That was the original pro-
gramme. and it viii be followed"
There is more than the usual stock OF coal car
ried over from the winter trade. because OF the
mild weather AMI reduced demand for coal In
this respect the operators appear to consider them
selves in an independent position for the present
at least.
The mine workers wanted the operators 70 agree
70 recognize the union Under the three-years
agreement. which expired March 81. the mines
were open TO the employment Of both union and
non-union men- It is this open-shop policy that
is the stumbling block to renewal OF the agree
ment, in which the various wage scales fairly
satisfactory to the mine workers.
WiIkes-Barre. Penn. April Ia-President Adam
Ruscavase Of the Vyoriug-I.acs awanna district
of the Mine Workers Union said to-day that he
would reach an agreement before May 1. and that
with honor.
RuSCaVaSe IS a member Of the Mine Workers
special committee which held the conferences with
the operators He says that he expects the mine
workers and operators committee viii meet soon
after the operators meeting on Thursday. and that
the agreement VIII b. signeI before the end OF this
month He declared that the new agreement would
doubtless provide FOR restoring some wages which
the mine workers claim have been reduced during
the period of the previous agreements. and would
also provide for overcoming some minor grievances
and making the working conditions generally mors
harmonious