United labor bulletin., 1913-04-17
MINERS VIOLATED CONTRACT.
Fuel Companies Should Compromise
With Miners, Says Legislative
Committee.


With Miners, Says Legislative
Committee.
Both sides are found to have been in
part in the wrong in the report made to
the legislature by the committee ap-
pointed to investigate the strike which
has been on in the northern coal fields
since April 4, 1910.
Two reports were made by the COM
mittee. Four of the members, Senators
Won Tilborg and Lines and Representa-
| tives Elmore and Hasty, made the ma
jority report, Representative Ferguson
| the minority.
The majority report finds that negoti-
ations between the operators and the
union were broken off, but that the tes-
timony conflicts as to who is respons-
ible. The minority report finds that the
operators were responsible for breaking
off the negotiations in the spring of
1910.
| The majority report is that there have
been isolated cases of violation of the
child labor law, since the beginning of
the strike, but no continual violation by
employment of boys under 16. The mi
nority report finds that the child labor
law has been continually violated.
The majority report finds that the So
called coal wars have not been for the
| purpose OI uTlVluS Oul lie AuiciiSdA
Fuel company and other companies en-
ploying union men. The minority re-
port finds that the coal wars were inaug-
urated for the purpose of Gripping the
mines employing union men and break
| ing the strike.
The two reports are practically the
same in other respects.
After reviewing the contentious of the
operators that the men violated their
contracts and that the union is not re-
sponsible and contracts made with it are
not binding, and the contentious of the
miners that the operators have refused
to compromise, the committee makes
the following finding:
| 1t will be seen, therefore, that while
reference is made to the alleged ire
sponsibility of the United Mine Workers
| of America, the refusal of the company
| to enter into negotiations for a settle
ment is not based on that ground. but
solely upon the legal right to employ
such men as it sees fit and to insist
upon dealing with them as individuals,
without in any way recognizing or con-
ceding that the public is interested in
| the termination of such a situation as
now exists.
Your committee is, therefore, of the
opinion that while both parties to the
strike are well within their legal rights,
proper regard for the interests OF the
public should compel the officers OF the
Rocky Mountain Fuel company so to
modify their position as to permit nego-
tiations to be entered into with the
union for the purpose of reaching a
basis for the settlement of the strike.
We feel that the attitude of this COM
pany, in giving paramount consideration
to it's policy of maintaining an open
shop, is unjustifiable under the circum-
stances and merits severe condemnation.
AS A MATTER OF SIMPLE JUS
TICE TO THE OPERATORS, HOW
EVER, WE FEEL THAT THE UNITED
SUBJECT TO JUST CRITICISM FOR
THE FAILURE ON NUMEROUS oC-
CASIONS TO SEE TO 1T THAT THE
PROVISIONS OF CONTRACTS WITH
THE EMPLOYERS WE'RE CARRIED
OUT BY ITS MEMBERS. IF 1T IS
TRUE, AS STATED BY SOME OF THE
OPERATORS, THAT NEGOTIATIONS
WOULD BE ENTERED INTO AT
ONCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SIGN
ING CONTRACTS WITH THE UNION
PROVIDED 1T WE'RE MADE FINAN-
CIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND COULD
BE COMPELLED TO KEEP ITS CON
TRACTS, WE THINK 1T INCUMBENT
UPON THE UNION OFFICIALS TO
MEET THIS REQUIREMENT IN GOOD
FAITH, IN SOME MANNER TO BE
WORKED OUT IN CONFERENCE
WITH THE OPERATORS.
Having in mind the necessity of rec
ognizing and safeguarding the right OF
the individual to employ, or to seek EN-
ployment from, whom he pleases, we are
unable to agree upon any recommends
ton as to legislation calculated either
to terminate this strike or to render the
recurrence of similar disorders impossi-
BILE. We believe that it is only by the
growth of proper conception on the
part of both employer and employed OF
the interests of organized society in the
preservation of industrial peace, that
such disputes can be avoided
I'VE renew our recommendations.
however to the parties to this contro-
versy: That the members of the union
should remove all occasion for just crit
icism of breach of contracts, that the
operators should recognize the patent
tendency of the times toward organiza-
ton of employees as well as employers,
and should be willing to meet the con-
ditions of the times by recognizing and
contracting with labor organizations up
on receiving satisfactory assurance of
their responsibility.