The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-16

while at several others the number is
very small. At none of them, according
to information obtained yesterday, is the
proportion of union miners sufficiently
large to force complete suspension of
work in the event the strike takes place
as scheduled by the national president of
| the union.
WOULD SERIOUSLY INTERFER
| Should all of the union men go out on
| that date however, it would seriously
| interfere with operations at a number
| of mines, some of them among the largest
| in the district.
| The demands of the United Mine Work
ers formulated at the Cleveland conven-
ton and which they claim were to have
been the basis for conference with the
operators were as follows:
| F1rst-We recommend that this re-
port be accepted as a substitute for all
wage scale resolutions that have been
| presented to the convention.
| Second-We recommend that this
convention demand a so per cent in
crease to be applicable to all classified
tions of day labor and to all tonnage,
! yardage and dead work rates through
out the central competitive field.
| Third-We recommend that this con-
vention demand that all wage agree
ments that are negotiable to replace
existing agreements shall be based on
a six-hour workday, from bank to
| bank, five days per week.
Fourth-That all day labor shall be
| paid time and half time for overtime
and double time for all work done on
! Sundays and legal holidays.
Fifth-That all agreements entered
into by the United Mine Workers Of
American shall have incorporated there
| in a provision providing for a weekly
payday.
ssC;x.b 1,l,nt II douhia chit xuortr nv, tha
| coal shall be abolished except as may be
| necessary for development and ventilat
| ing purposes and development for in
| creased tonnage shall not be regarded as
being a reason for double shift work: 1t
being understood that this rule shall not
be applicable to new mines that are
! in process of development
"Seyenth-That no automatic penalty
clause shall be written into any agree
rfent entered into by the United Mine
Workers of America.
"Eighth-That all internal differences
not covered by joint interstate agreement
shall be referred back to the respective
districts for adjustment. -
'Ninth-That all contracts in the BIZ
luminous field shall be declared as hav-
| ing automatically expired November !,
1919, and that no sectional settlement
shall be allowed and new contracts must
run concurrently for a period of two
years in all bituminous districts under our
jurisdiction.
'tTenth-That agreements negotiated for
outlying districts shall be retroactive and
become effective on the date upon when
the agreement for the central competi-
tive field becomes effective.
Eleventh-That no agreement for the
central competitive field shall be con-
cluded until after this convention has
reconvened and that the agreement has
been ratified by the reconvened conven-
ton which reconvened convention shall
also define a policy to be applicable to
outlying districts and that the recon-
vened convention shall be held in InCian-
apolis, on such date as may be desig-
mated by the resident international Of
ficials.
''Twelfth-we recommend that in event
satisfactory wage agreement is not
secured for the central competitive neld
before November l. 1919, to replace the
one now in effect that the international
officials be authorized to and are here
by instructed to call general strike
of all bituminous miners and mine
workers throughout the United states
the same to become effective November
/, 1919.
'Thirteenth-That this convention go on
record as favoring the ratification OF
the wage demands made by the anthraclte
miners in their tri-state convention
W hich was held in WilkeSbarre, Ia, from
August 1 to %, inclusive, and that we
pledge to the anthracite workers our
power and influence in aiding them TO
the fulflment of their demands.
OPERATORS REPLY
At the conference of operators ana
union leaders in Philadelphia last
week. at which the union demands
were presented, the operators made the
following reply:
1--WE have carefully considered the
demands and position of the mine
workers representatives transmitted
to us in writing by Acting President
Lewis on September 26. Our reply and
position is aerfollows; This confer
ence was called, at the request of the
miners, to negotiate a contract TO be
effective upon the expiration of the
present agreement The present wage
agreement modifying and extending
the scalHcontract of April /. 1916, runs
during the continuation of the war,
and not to exceed two years from April
/, 191S' 1t was executed by the &C
credited and. dulyN authorized repre-
sentatives OF both operators and
miners on October 6, 1917. at Washing
ton, d. c.. under the supervision and
with the participation of United States
Fuel Administrator H. A. Garfield, rep
resenting the President of the United
States, acting under provisions of the
Lever act, a statute still effective. AT
that time it was definitely understood
that stha continuation nj the war