New-York tribune., 1920-09-04
Miners Call
On Wilson to
Upset Award
Want Inequalities of Wage
Contract Remedied; Ask
the Same Pay Given Men
in the Bituminous Field
100000 Now Are Idle
Voluntary Uprisings' Are
Said To Be Due to Dis
satisfaction With Terms

SCRANTON, Pa Sept. 3.-Anthrac;t.
mine workers, through their union off
GERS, to-day appealed to President Will.
son to reopen the wage contract signed
yesterday for the purpose of remedyine
the Inequalities" Of the award recently
approved by President Wilson.
1t is estimated that about 100000
mine workers throughout the anthracite
regions have quit work because, it is
declared, they are not satisfied with the
terms of the coal commissions award
Ihe inequalities III the award" the
appeal to the President said, "are so
apparent that voluntary uprisings have
taken place in opposition and protest in
all OF the mining districts, despite every
enort that has been put forth by the
officers of the United Mine Workers of
America to prevent those disturbances. u
The miners ask in effect that the
wages of the hard coal men be placed
on about the same basis as those in the
bituminous fields. The award of The
commission gave the anthracite men
increases ranging from II to 25% per
cent, whereas the miners asked for a
uniform advance Of about 27 per cent
tor the several classes of workers.
Union leaders insist the award pivcs
the men nothing more than the oper-
ators offered them last spring, which
was rejected.
Labor Secretary Gets Appeal
A long telegram was also sent to
Secretary of Labor Wilson, embodyine
the appeal sent to the President and
urging the Secretary to exercise the
influence of his Office to have a Joint
wage scale meeting held to insure per-
manent peace and tranquility in the
anthracite mining industry.
After the refusal of the coal opera
tors to receive new demands yesterday
when the new wage scale was signed
meeting of the general scale commit
tee of the United Mine Workers was
called for to-day. A committee of
of the three districts, and Interna-
tional Vice-President Philip Murray
as chairman, to decide upon q plan of
action. 1t decided to make a direct ap-
peal to President Wilson.
More Mines Are Closed
So far as can be learned, the geneyal
scale committee. took no action to-day
to have the workers return to work. It
was said the question of getting the
men back would be left to local officers
IN the various mining communities.
The union has issued no strike order.
and union leaders declare the action Of
most of the men in staying away from
the mines was done without any au-
thorization from the organization.
The meeting held at Wilkes-Barre a
few days ago, at which strike resolu-
tion was adopted, was attended by men
who are classed by union leaders as
composed of an insurgent element
which has been opposing the policies
Of the regular administration of the
miners union in the Scranton Wilkes
Barre regions.
Several additional mines were closed
in the upper coal fields to-day. but this
appeared to be balanced by a number
of others starting up. Mine officials
do not look for any improvement in
coal production until after Labor Day.
The men who are idle say they are on
vocation" They DO not admit they
are on strike.
1t is expected that II the President
agrees to have the wage contract re-
opened he might insist that ali men
first return to work and abide by the
terms Of the award.
Among the new demands to be made
by the miners are an increaSe Of Is
per cent in the rate to contract miners,
81 day additional to men paid by the
day known as company men, an eight
hour day for workers employed longer
hours and the adoption Of the check
off.