The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-11
DEMANDS OF MINE WORKERS IN ALABAMA

DEMANDS OF MINE WORKERS IN ALABAMA
 Washington D. G.. November D. 1917. l. Reinstatement of all men unjusty discharged
 Right of men to belong the union without discrimination hold meetings of the without interference; and maintain mine committees and the establishment of machinery for the adjustment of dispute.
 B Tie eght-hour workday for all classes of labor
 Uniform eadustmen of tonnage yardage day labor and dead work the basis present price Soc Pratt
 > Abolition of contract and subcontract system.
 Right to select and maintain check weighman without inter- z Establishment of semilnonthy pay.
 Birmingham, Ala, December 6 1917 Dr. H. A. Garfield,
 Fuel Administrator, Washington, D. c.
 Dear Sir: Referring your request of November 28 that meeting of the coal of Alabama be held for the purpose of discussing of the questions which had been presented to you that element of employees who belong the United Mine Workers of America
 you Washington, November that would be impossible to anything like full meeting of operators time for their representatives to be in Washington Thursday December beg confirm that statement today December is the earliest date which could meeting with anything like full attendance
 full report made the operators of the conference with you with Peae and copies the the dissatisfied belonging the United Mine Work presented to the operators together with copy of the let date of November 2 97 addressed you by the undersigned president the Alabama Coal Operators Assoc on which certain concessions be recommended to the operators
 The items recommended with certain minor amendments flying parts the indicated the copy thereof herewith acceptable the operators of Alabama for the duration of and in addition thereto the operators will effect Alabama the duration of the if it done the working hours force the Tennessee Kentucky field; that i Empoes shall be at their working places 80 n and shooting time in the mines shall be with than 30 minutes to be consumed by empoe in lunch Day labor necessary for the transporting and dump ing coal that may be transit quitting time shall continue working until such coal is loaded railroad 1t being under that than oneha hour be required this work which will performed by the necessary day labor involved without additional compensation.
 The operators believe that this change prevailing Alabama conditions will materially reduce the production of coal and will upset working conditions throughout the district think the hours of labor should be shortened dur ing the willing abide Judgment and make tie best of the situaion arbitration with the United Mine Workers of Amer ca giving among the many for this refusal the statement presence of Mr. Peae by Mr. John L. Lewis dent organization, that if the had accete the arbitration of Secretary of Labor Wilson, submitted to them in September would before this have been making ad dtona demands This statement and the well known fact that United Mine Workers o Amerlea regard contract as beng binding operators for it's but not binding the mine longer tap they conceive it to be to their interest certainly justes the declining enter what must be nothing but form without binding effect upon both parties
 wages paid fields Alabama much higher than paid elsewhere throughout Alabama that there has been influx labor the coal fields from northern mlncs mills and other lndusal plants tae souh This created feeling amounting to bit les amongst farmers and other people, vino find themselves unable pay wages compete with the coal mines and today rong n the fields of the south be cause of labor Harvest them and farmers dc