Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-10-23
MINERS STRIKE
CALLED FOR
NOVEMBER lST.
Proper Protection win Be Insured TO
Operators
COAL PRODUCTION WILL CEASE


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, October is,
1919.
To the Officers and Members Of the
United Mine Workers of America:
The Joint Conference of Operators
and Mine Workers, representing the
Central Competitive Field, which re-
convened in Philadelphia on October
8, came to sine die adjournment on
Saturday, October IL. without agree
ment.
The Mine Workers representatives
made an earnest, sincere attempt to
negotiate new agreement to be eff
fective November l. 1919. We Offer
ed facts and data Of substantial ma
ture to support our claim for consid-
GRAFTON of our wage demands as out
lined by the international convention
at Cleveland. We were met by the
blunt refusal Of the operators to
agree to any Of our demands. No
proposals Of any character looking
toward the formation Of a new agree
ment were offered by the operators.
The only proposition presented by
them was their oft-repeated offer to
continue the Washington Wage Agree
rnent until March 81, 1920. This
proposition was rejected by your rep
resentatives because it meant the con
tinuance Of an intolerable situation
and offered no relief to our member
ship from the present material hard
ships being endured by them. The ar
bitrary attitude Of the operators, per-
sistently maintained day after day in
the joint conference, precluded any
possibility OF an agreement and re-
suited in final adjournment. The
responsibility for this action will ac-
cordingly lie with the operators.
The International convention at
Cleveland on September2 20, in consid-
ering the report Of the Scale Com
smittee. adopted the following:
I'VE recommend that In event
satisfactory wage agreement is
not secured for the Central Com
petitive Field before November1,
1919, to replace the one now in
effect, that the International Of
ficials be authorized and are here
by instructed TO call general
strike of all bituminous mine
workers throughout the United
States, the same to become effect
i've November 1, 1919"
Acting in conformity with the au-
thority vested by the International
convention, as herein quoted, the un-
dersigned executive officers Of the
United Mine Workers Of America
hereby direct all members Of our or
ganization employed in and around
the mines Of the bituminous coal-pro-
ducing districts Within the jurisdic-
ton of our organization in the United
States to cease the production Of coal
at midnight on Friday October 81, 80
IS. The strike thus called will con-
tinue in full force and effect until
officially terminated by order of the
international Union.
Local Unions will permit suffi-
cient number of men to remain at
work to insure the proper care and
protection of all mining properties.
in conformity with the provisions of
the district agreements in the several
fields. The fullest cooperation must
be gwen the operator to prevent in
jury to property, and under no cir
cumstances should this rule be viola
ted or set aside by local unions.
There must be no suspension or
stoppage of mining operations under
this order until midnight on Friday,
October 81. 1t is essential that there
be a concert of action among all our
membership in carrying into effect
this most important policy. The
United Mine Workers Of America are
now embarking upon the greatest en-
terprise ever undertaken in the his
tory of the trade union movement,
and each member of our organization
must cooperate and assist in bring
ing success to our efforts. Orderly
procedure must be followed through
out. You will be guided by the pol
icies of your union and the official or
ders emanating from its officers.
JOHN L. LEWIS,
President
WIN. GREEN,