The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-11-20
MINERS RESENT
!. CHECK OFF MOVE
BY OPERATORS
Hundreds Go on Strike in New
River Field When Policy
Is Announced

CHARLESTON. W. Va. Nov. 19-The
coal strike situation in tn" unI"nl%"d
southern mining districts OF West Nlr-
ginia took IN n moro serious aspect TO-
night when reports were rtt' 'N'u ii"'l
th, New River coal fields Shu" NIX thil
hundreds "t miners had waLhr" Guy ;d"E h<,
ing number of mines lhHt M" hrIh
operating since the resembling IF the
strike order.
According to the reports the mon be
gan quitting wori; today to'IoWihE h"'
iiiCation by the min" SupcrInicndHnt$ "t
the various COmpauI"S To I'll" cti"'t thht
the CHECK OFF, system had b. yn a3"I,
;shec because the min' rs had abrrEatE"
their contract by Participating III M
strike OF November |. The new strike
is reported To be spreading thr"uEhout
the New River district where approN-
imatcly 5000 miners are employed IN
Lewis Reticent
Declaring that he had no reports re-
garding the situation, u. L. Lewis, sec
rotary Of the N,w River Coal Operators
association. said tonight that h" had no
statement to make. He asserted mat
his reports showed. however. that the
mines were producing at N1 percent OF
their normal capacity yesterday
Mr.. Lewis aduIttcd that ten or
twelve" mines in the New River fields
were closed. but said that he had not
heard why they were shut down.
The miners in the New River field are
quitting work wherever the operators
are putin; the new policy into erect.
headquarters Of District 80. United Mine
Workers, at BcCkl"y today. The New
River coal fields are located within the
Jurisdiction Of this district.
Joseph Patton. Il district board mem
ber in charge Of the mine workers head
quarters. declared the attitude Of the
mine operators was Il surprise to the
union officials. as the operators associ1-
ton had never officially notified the un
ion mine workers that their contract had
been terminate and the "Check-oft'
system abolished. He said that the mine
Supcrintcrdcnts We're verbally notifying
the men of the new policy.
Palmer Informed
J.B. Simms chairman of n local COM
mittec representing moro than 700 min
erS who walked out at the Boards fork
mines today, sent telegram to Mtor-
ney General Palmer informing him that
the miners in TIE New River district arc
again on strike bcCauS" IN" operators
havrvinlatcd their contracts "and refuse
To check off union dues" Mr.. SimmS
said that fourteen drift mines were
closed NJ Heard'S Forks because OF the
new walkout.
Union OFFICIALS explained that the
CHECK off system was included in the
contract signed between tho New River
operators and miners in Scpt"mh": IN
which the operators agreed I" collect
from each union member = wages all OIL
the union dues owed by m" men to their
local treasures. This practice was. II
il said. enforced rs n convenience for
both the men and union officials.
Reports have been current for several
CayS that the New River operators had
under contemplation tn" abandonment
Of the system Of collecting local union
assessments from their employees wages
because they felt tn" miners had riulat-
ed their contracts by striking on Nov
nr,lhrr S.yrr11 rV1pCliOVS of tho ODar-
etorS were held but n" definite policy
regarding the status Of tho returning
miners was publicly announced.
Operations IS Percent
Reports 10 the Karawha Coal Operat-
orS' association toniEh; indicated that
AL but about II Of the 200 mines in the
Kanawha coal fields wcr" operating to-
day at about So percent of their normal
capacity.
Yesterdays production in these fields
tn" @O.o50 tons produced on Monday.
Operators predicted today that IN" out
put Will show another slight improve
mrnt.
Miners who have returned 10 work In
m" Kanawha coal fields threatened to
walk out again today when The report
was spread that the operators would col
l"Ct fines from each man for partiCipat-
ing in the strike Of November 1St. Five
hundred mine workers at kayford in the
Cabin Creek district refused to return
to work because they said tho min" sup
/ crinteudsntS had notified them that n
Si6 fine would be collected from each
mans wages.
William rctry. district vico president.
immed'atcly took III" matter up with tho
Kanawha Coal Operators association.
Late today. Mr.. Tetry said h" was uoti-
fed by IN" operators that rho National
coal association had ruled that The fines
would not be collect cd. Several commit
. toes waiting the decision at union head
quarters. Immediately started through
The district 10 notify tho men - report
10 work tomorrow morning as tho cp-
. orators had decided not 10 attempt the
coll"C'irn Of fines.
"Niucty-fivc percent Of tho mines are
operating" Mr.. TCtry said. but can't