The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-04
EXPECT STRIKE ID
 START NEXT WEEK.;
 IS ID BE GENERAL
Both Sides Firm In Positions They Have Taken, But Ad- ditional Meetings Will Be
 Held Here Today

will there be general strike? was the question put to J. R. Ken namer. president of the Alabama Di- vision of the United Mine Workers of America, late yesterday afternoon.
 There will be a general strike" was MT. Kennamer's reply
 Other than that, MT. Kennamer had no statement to make except that the executive committee would hold a meeting about noon today for full dis cussion of the situation and the pro cedure to be taken in conducting the strike. He indicated that official an nouncement would be made following todays meeting of the executive board.
 The coal operators reiterate the statement made for them Thursday by James Bonnyman. chairman of the op orators committee, who said; Boiled down, there are only two poinG mentioned as basis for this call. First, that the Alabama coal op orators have not put into effect the award of the Bituminous Coal Comms- sion; second, that the coal operators of Alabama have consistently refused to meet with the officials of the United Mine Workers of America. though their officers in Ala dbaina
 NO RECOGNITION As to the first the statement is absolutely false. as every operator in the state promptly put into effect the findings of the Bttuminous Coal Com mission immediately after those find ings were publicly announced and with out argument or discussion.
 AS to the second, the operators of Alabama have and always will refuse absolutely to treat directly or indirect ly with the United Mine Workers of America. The public should know. however, that the Bituminous Coal Commission did not direct the opera tors of Alabama to deal with the United Workers of America and ex pressly recognized in their award that the Alabama coal operators did not and would not recognize them.
 Our reason for refusing to deal with or recognize the miners union is based on our experience with them in other years prior to 1908 and with the eX- perience other fields are having with them today where they are constantly breaking their contracts. The people of Alabama, no doubt, remember the experiences of 1904 and 1908
 The Bituminous Coal Commission did recommend that the operators of Ala bama meet with their employees and put the award into effect This was done promptly. Every operator in the state is glad to meet with his employees to deal with any question at issue and this Is a universal practice at the mines in this state and will continue to be"
 OPERATORS MEET
 After a eil-attended meeting of the coal operators held yesterday refusal to recognize the union was made even
 
 they do not wish to return to the con ditions prior to 1908, they declare. busi- ness in this district was a { standstill from two to three months every year pending agreement with the union fol another years wage scale and longer stin when strikes followed. some of which entailed loss of life
 They claim that the union itself has admitted that the operators offered the award of the bituminous commission by making contracts embodyng all the wage terms which the operators offer, and that the only point at issue has been the demand of the union to interpolate itself in the internal af- fairs of the operators and workers, They reiterate that it is a fight for recognition of the union pure and simple and that they will not deal with the union because the union is ire SpOnSlDle anu Has SuoWH IiStll So
 The operators promise protection to the men working for them and de- clare to them that the position which they are taking is best for them as well as for the operators.
 5000 OUT
 J. L. Clemo,, secretary of the mine union declares that there are 5000 of the 27,000 miners on strike in Ala bama.
 Nothing of definite nature devel- oped yesterday. The two sets of con- ferences, one at union headquarters and the other held by the operators, were in preparation for the battle which both sides exptct Indications are that the general strike will begin. on Monday.
 Operators expect considerable number of men to heed the strike call by staying away from work for time waiting to see which way the wind blows. They predict a gradual recov cry in mine operations after the first week.
 The sanguine among the operators recall the strike of last November when the district weathered it without closing down a single industry for lack of coal and they poipt to the dispatch with which the production recovered after the first few days of the strike.
 The union heads claim that many