The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-05

CID Ol NIllS ulSlIlCI OT luttI ICPESSOh-
 tatives, granting them the right of collective bargaining and the right to organize for their protection. Their position is to return to the old open shop conditions that prevailed in this district from 1908 to 1917, and to destroy every semblance' and every yes tige of collective rights of the miners to safeguard and protect their inter ests and welfare. They are forcing the
 mine workers of this district to go on strike, as the last and only means and resource they have to effect a settle
 ment of the questions al issue between the miners and operators.
 The coal comm ssion, in it's award and recommendations, has in effect re- | ferred back for settlement by the rep
 resentatives of the operators and
 miners the questions that were pre- sented to them by the miners for set 1 tlement. If the operators had appeared ! before the commission, the questions | presented by the miners would have l been considered. If tle operators had compiled with the commissions recom- 1 mendations and had made arrange ments for a joint conference or had | they accepted our invitation to meet in 1 joint conference for the purpose of ef- l fecting a settlement in this district,
 the questions which the miners repre- | sentatives presented to the commission | would have formed the basis of neso- | tiations for a settlement.
 1 DEMANDS OF UNION | we are now, therefore, striking to
 compel the operators to meet our rep 1 resentatives in joint conference and
 settle the questions at issue between
 the mine workers and the operators which we presented to the coal com 1 mission at our hearing. These ques- | tions will form the basis of an agree ment when the operators meet in joint conference with the mine workers rep | resentatives:
 | 'rFirst-We demand the same system l of collective bargaining and recognition | of the organization as obtains with the organized miners in other districts | throughout the country.
 I "Second-We demand uniformity of wages within the district as to tonnage prices. both pick and machine mining; | adjustment of differentials between pick and maqhine Slining prices and l yardage rates
 "Third-We demand the readjust- 1 ment of day labor prices both inside and 1 outside the mines as between this dis | trict and the organized districts l throughout the country.
 1 The commissions award provided for 1 flat $1.U0 per day increase to udy ] labor. though the operators are giving | only 20 per cent advance to day la | bor prices. Under the Garfield Agree
 ment drivers and other classes of in- 1 side workmen were getting $3.44 a day l and the highest wage under the scale | for inside day labor was $3.S4 per day | ripple men and other classes of out
 side labor received $500 per day.
 If the operators had given the full l award of the commission. drivers would | have received s4.44 where they are now receiving from $4.0o to s4.15 per day i inside day labor should have received 1 s44S instead of s460 and tipple men l should have received S4.00 per day in- l stead of S3,6o.
 l Just recently in the states of Hi | nois and Indiana wage increases were negotiated for the day men inside and | outside of the mines amounting to $1 SC 1 per day in addition to the $1.00 per day advance provided by the award of the commission, making $7,50 per day l for the same class of work that the | day men in this district are performing l for a little more than $400 per day l This scale of wages for Illinois and l Indiana will form the basis for simi- | lar increases and scales for the or
 ganzed miners throughout the coun- l try.
 "Fourth-We demand the abolish
 ment of the contract and sub contract
 system wherever in vogue and effect l which would abolish the labor system
 and install the tonnage basis for the | miners.
 "Fifth--We demand the right oi | ighmen upon tipples to sec that the coal of the miners is properly l weighed and credited to their accounts 1 the selection and duties of such check | weighmen to be free from any interfer- | ence by the coal companies or their
 agents.
 "Sixth-We demand the installation
 of standard weigh scales al all coa
 mines where they are not already es- | tablished and the abolishment of prac-
 tices of paying by measurement or by
 the car.
 These demands enumerated above l are on file in the records of the Unit | ed States Bituminous Coal Commission | They are fundamental in character and
 shall form the basis for the negotiation
 of new wage agreemnt.
 This constitutes the call for the coa
 miners of this district to cease work al
 midnight Tuesday, September 7th, 1920
 SUPPORT IS PLEDGED "The international organization l
 and the other international officers ] pledged it's full support and assistance l to the mine workers in this district | The responsibility now rests solely and 1 entirely upon the shoulders of the coa miners of this district Upon your ac. l tion depends whether or not we will | negotiate a contract with the opera | tors retain those benefits we have al l ready achieved and prevent the opera | T
 conditions of the period between 1908 and 1917.
 "J. R. Kennaner. president: J. F. Sors. by vice president J. l.. Clemo, secre-
 tary, J. B. Poole, T. l.. Haines, F. L | Erwin, O. F. Johnson.
 District Executive Board" "W M HARRISON 1 Interna tional Board member. Distric
 No. 20, United Mine Workers o1