The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-10-03
MINERS
COMPREHENSIVE
PROGRAM
(By VIM. NJ, ShortD

The most important and far
reaching convention of labor eyer
held in America just adjourned last
week at Cleveland, Ohio. 1t was the
International convention of the
United Mine Workers of America.
No other program of labor possible
of accomplishment, and having such
far-reaching effects as it relates to
improving the conditions of the
workers, has ever been promulgat-
ed.
The International Miners Union
has been for many years the back
bone of the American labor move
ment. 1t is the largest industrial
organization in the world, and is
generally conceded to be among the
most constructive and effective or
ganizations of labor, and has been
the vanguard of every fight that
has ever been waged to bring about
the important advantages that La
Dor now enjoys in America. If the
fight on behalf of the miners of the
country, which it is now marshall
ing it's forces to wage, can be won,
it will mean that automatically la
Dor of every other craft will prepare
eo,, bo+tIo n gan,irn tho can1o rncillte
The following demands on the
coal operators of the country were
unanimously endorsed by the con-
vention, and instructions given to
its policy committee that no COM
promise without the consent of the
convention must be made:
st: 4 flat 60 %. increase in pay
for all classes of mine work.
End: The establishment of G.
hour, bank to bank, day and 5-day
week.
3rd Abolition of all automatic
al penalty clauses.
4th: The termination of all eX-
isting contracts with the coal op-
orators of the country on November
/ of this year, and adoption of uni
form 2-year contracts throughout
the entire country from that date
on.
1t adopted the following policy
in connection with the above
named demands:
list: Giving international offic-
ers power at any time during the
negotiations to call a nationwide
strike to take effect November 1.
2nd: Making it necessary to re-
convene the convention to ratify
any agreement reached.
3rd; Voted unanimously to strike
in all parts of the United States on
November /, if the international
officers issue such a call
4th; Giving the international
officers the power to call out the
members of the organization in
Canada if they deem it necessary.
The convention endorsed the pro-
gram for naturalization of all coal
mines to be administered by indus
trial councils, on which the miners
union would be given equal voice on
all directing boards and commit
tees. 1t endorsed the formation Of
an alliance with the railroad broth
erhoods to enforce wage demands
and the principles of natioualiza-
tion.
1t endorsed the formation of a
national labor party and instructed
the International Executive Board
to issue a call prior to the next
American Federation of Labor con-
vention to all International Unions.
including the railroad brotherhoods,
the representatives of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor and all
State Labor bodies; also the Non
Partisan League and other farmers
organizations, and the representa-
tives of the different cooperative
societies of the country, for the pur-
pose of organizing and launching a
national labor party. II is the pur-
pose to embrace all of the organiza-
tions above mentioned, or. if 1t
should prove impracticable, to work
out a plan of cooperation and al
lance with such organizations.
President Harlin. of the Wash
ington Miners, who acted as Secre-
tary of the Resolutions Committee,
introduced the resolution on the ma
tionalization of mines, also the res
olution on the formation of a ma
tional labor party, and the one pro-
viding for economic and political
alliance with the railroad brother
hoods, all of which were unani-
mously adopted by the convention.
The representatives of the rail