Arizona republican., 1919-09-24
Increase In Wages and Shorter Hours Asked By Miners
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

CLEVELAND, Sept 22.-Demands for a 50 per cent increase in all mine wages, limit of six hours day un- derground, five day week with time and half for overtime and double time for work Sundays and holidays and important Improvements in cond: tions of labor, were adopted this after noon by the convention of the United Mine Workers of America.
 The convention then adjourned to await the result of the joint wage scale conference with the operators Of the central competitive district, which opens in Buffalo Thursday. Should a satisfactory new agreement be reached by the representatives of the miners and operators at this conference, the convention will be reconvened at In dianapolis to accept or reject it. Should no agreement be reached ov the representatives of the miners. and operators at this conference, the con yention will be reconvened at Indian apolis to accept or reject it. Should no agreement be reached in time to be ratified and come into effect by | November l. a general strike of-sail ! i States will automatically ensue on that date, which may extend to the Cana dian coal fields if the international executive board and the representa- | tives of the Canadian district so de- termine. 1 Regular Employment Asked While a decided increase in wages is demanded to meet the heavy increase | in the cost of living, the miners dele :. gates were no less interested in pro- viding regular employment for all members of the union throughout the year. voting not only to restrict the number of working hours to 30 per week. but also to prohibit the employ ment of double shifts insproducing coat | with this aim in view
 The report of the scale committee l embodying the proposed demands of the United Mine Workers of Americas was presented to the convention bt Frank Harrington of Illinois, chairman of the committee. It includes the an ticipated demands for a flat 50 per ' cent increase in wages applicable to all classifications of day labor, and to all tonnage, yardage and deadwork rates throughout the central competi
 tive district, the six hour day from
 bank to bank, five days per week, with
 time and half for overtime and
 double time for all work Sundays and
 holidays and weekly pay day.
 The international officials are inl
 structed to call a general strike of all !, bituminous miners and mine workers
 in the United States November 1 un-
 less satisfactory agreement Is ; reached by that time
 No agreement reached in the scale l conference at Buffalo shall be con cluded until after it has been sub mitted for ratification to the conyen- , tion which is to be recovened for this purpose in Indianapolis. The recon
 vened convention shall also define the r policy for the outlying districts. for
 which the control competitive agree 3 ment serves as a basis for their sen , arate agreements
 Double Shift Abolished
 The report. demands that all double shift work be abolished. except sucf z as may be necessary for ventilating [ purposes and development of new | mines. It demands that mo automatic ! | penalty clause be included in ths ! agreement such as is contained in tn, present Washington wage agreemen 1 providing an automatic penalty of : t dollar a day for each miner going CT : strike against the provisions of tn agreement and a similar fine of an, Il operator locking out his miners. Al | internal differences not covered - b. joint interstate agreement are to b II referred back to the respective dis
 tricts for adjustmnt.
 All contracts in the bituminousfieh
 shall be declared as having autona
 tically expired November 1. 19ta: nj
 sectional settlements shall be aliove,
 and new contracts must run coneur
 rently for a period Of two yesrz i;
 all bituminous districts. Agredifitiht
 negotiated for outlying districtsl $dAi
 be retroactive and become effectF& cl
 the date for which the agreemdHf fo
 the central competitive field Npo' 1 which they are based becomes l<Feec
 tive. The report proposes to f9fs%F
 the demands formulated by tlAeH&4
 thracite miners in their tri-stat e~.01f
 vention at Wilkesbarre, Pennsyjyfniz SC in August, as the demands of tilE kdn n vention and pledges the support ok-<h
 entire organization to secure ttH<fu1 .- | fillment of these demands.
 The report of the scale con rftfe o was adopted unchanged after aTt<1f st paratively short debate. PracticAHX Y $ objections and criticism was oliv1{{o is by the fact that the delegated &i g have opportunity to pass upoa. 3ar1
 agreement before it comes into &fIEe
 ---------------s