Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-13
ANTHRACITE
OPERATORS
STATESTAND
Adherence to Principles of
Collective Bargaining In
sisted Upon.
-.a --- I
CLOSED SHOP IS
STRONGLY OPPOSED
Two Year Contracts Agreed
To; Subcontracting Not
Favored.

PRESIDENT Roosevelt's anthracite
strike commission Of 1902, and re-
animation of every mans right to
work, without reference to member
snip or non-membership in a labor
organization, were insisted upon here
t.ooay oy the anthracite operators be-
lore the anthracite coal comm ission
appointed by President Wilson to ar
oitrate the differences between the
operator and the mine workers.
Unalterable opposition to the prin-
clple OF the closed shop and its pro-
posed accompaniment, the checkoff,
was also placed in the record. and
hgures were presented to show that,
under the present wage SCALE the an
nual earnings of anthracite mine
workers have more than kept pace
with the increase in the cost of liy-
ing.
/ Formal Reply.
These points were contained in the
first formal reply presented to the
commission in answer to the eighteen
demands of the mine workers for re-
adjustment of wages and working
conditions. Each demand was an
alyzed in the reply, and the position
OF the operators stated. but the mine
workers having previously notified
the commission that four of the
eighteen demands were of major i'm
swers to these four.
To the demand that the present
wages of the anthracite mine workers
be increased to correspond to the in
,creases granted the bituminous mine
workers by the presidential coal COM
:; mission, the operators set forth that
the bituminous and anthracite indus
tries are not comparable. "since an
thracite mining also involves a manu-
featuring process Of cleaning and siz-
ing coal in breakers with the Jesuit
that only about one-third of the an
thracite employees are engaged in cut
ting and loading coal, against hSout
twothirds in the bituminous indus
try"
Work is Different.
i "Since the anthracite industry is or
virtually full time basis. employ.
ment is steady compared with about
200 days work year in the bitn.rfin.
Gus mines," The: statemeAkSsays.
Anthracite workers, ,A'under. present
wage scales are earning more per an.
mum than the bituminous workers
n presidents commission"
i With. regard to the extension Of tn.
teight-hour day to watchmen. pump
/ Itfen. tan engineers. stablemen, pow
erhouse, engineers and some hoisting
,, enEineers, the operators pointed ou
!. ithaaEthese duties are not arduous, bu
THAT. at, the suggestion of the secre
itary Of labor they had agreed to pu
pumpmen and inside and outsid,
;. ihoisting engineers on an eight -hou
system, which was to be worked ou
iby the board of conciliation. The de
: mand for time and half for over
time and double time for Sundays ant
holidays is fatty opposed.
l. With regard to standardization o
hot 4f
character at the various collerie
shall command the same wage. tn
operators pointed out that conditions
vary in different collieries and in diff
ferent places at the same colliery.
Position Unmistakablc.
ION the question Of closed shol
contract with full recognition of tn
union and the establishment o
checkoff," the statement continues
N 'the position of operators is un
mistakable." They declared that tn
by the award of the anthracite strik
commission have been applied sue
jcessfully for nearly twenty years, tha
-lthis award distinctly established tn
principle of the open shop and fore
bade discrimination between uniol
and non-union men: that. the estab
lishment of a closed shop is IRE
of the freedom of choice" that tn
principle of the open shop has beel
k indorsed by courts both state ant
n federal, and that the demand for al
r extension of the checkoff whereof
: union dues are withheld from
I miners pay. by the employer, was de
Inied by the bituminous commission
s collective bargaining and periodica
:. trade agreements are accepted by tn
s operators. Such contracts. they hold
: can be enforced only by willing co
2 Operation. and that the closed sho
It cannot compel cooperation by an in
ldividual not desiring it.
: The operators agree to q two-yea
e contract, but object to abolishing In
e ldividual agreements and contracts i
T coal mining whereby one man, VIII
t may employ others. takes over tn
Il working OF a section of vein or
(. particular opening.