The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-09-20
.NINERSWILL DEMAND
SHORTER WORK DAYS
Make it Madatory Upon
Representatives to Buf-
faIo Joint Conference.

CLEVELAND, o. Sept. 2O-lt is ez
pected the the wage demands to be
presented to the bituminous coal Op-
orators at the joint meeting in Buffa-
10, N. Y, on September rs, will be
presented either Monday OF. Tuesday
at the convention Of the United Mine
I'M ms Of Aahgr3uss here. I This
scale emand is for the central COM
petitive fields which embody western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indt'
ana, but will really set the pace for the
adjoining producing regions.
Attempts will be made to make the
instructions OF the convention on the
principal demands regarding the
amount Of increase presumably about
sixty per cent? and the shortening OF
working time to six hours daily five
days a week absolutely mandatory on
the miners representatives in the
Joint scale conference and to direct
them either to obtain recognition Of
these principal Ndemands without any
change or to call out the bituminous
miners of the country in general
strike November 1.
The men who are formulating the
scale demands on which the question
of a general strike Of coal miners this
fall will depend are Frank Harrington
Iof Springfield, Illinois and Phillip
Murray Of Pittsburgh, prenident Of the
Illinois and Western Pennsylvania dis
trict organizations to whom this has
been referred by the scale committee
An amendment to the constitution
making the six hour day instead OF
the eight hour day one of the aims
of the organization, was today adopt
ed 1t reads that mot more than sig
hours from bank to bank in each "a
hours shall be worked by members oi
our organization, and this is the form
in which the demand will probably be
presented to the operators,
Today's sessions Of the convention
were devoted to constitutional chang
es, the most important being the adoI
ton of the elective instead Of the
appointive system for organizers, au-
dttors and other officials.
The convention decided that the Of
ficials should share in any increases
prosperity obtained by the miners as
a result Of the coming scale negotia-
tions recommending that the salaries
Of the president secretary-treasurer
and other officers should be increased
by the same percentage as granted in
the new scale.
An evening adjournment was taken
in the midst of debate on an amend
ment to constitutional provisions
against membership in the Industrial
Workers of the World and similar
radical organizations. The clause
which already provides disbarment
from office in the United Mine Work
ers OF America for any one accepting
membership in the /. W. W., the Work
ing Clas UUnion or any other dual
union not affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor, was amended to
make such disbarment permanent, to
make any member of such radical or
ganization ineligible for membership
and to include specifically. the Zone
big union" among the outlawed organ
izations.
The following resolutions we're ap-
proved:
To change the time for the con-
venlng of the National convention to
the third Tuesday in September, in
stead Of the second, so as not to con-
flict with Labor Day.
To establish hospitals at central
mining centers to be maintained by
the National Treasury.
Demanding that premiums on State
compensation insurance be paid or BY
the coal companies and, to make II
mandatory for every member to work
but six hours in one day instead Of
eight.