The Cordova daily times., 1920-03-10

tract ml~lClS, 9I.UU udy raise TOT day men, and a six-hour day and five day week for men paid by the day or cite coal operators in New York yes- terday by the union representatives Of the hard coal division These de- mands were formulated at conven- tion of the anthracite miners in Wilkes Barre, last August and ratl- fled by the national convention of the United Mine Workers of Ameri- can. in Cleveland in September.
 The conference of operators and mine workers next month will endea- vor to negotiate a new agreement to take the place of the contract now in force.
 The present general wage agree ment covering the anthracite industry was entered into in May, 1916, for four years ending March 31 this year Because of war conditions, wages have been since readjusted by supple mental agreements, between the miners and operators.
 About 170,OOO mine workers will be affected by the new contract to be negotiated The miners scale com mittee which will meet the operators will be composed of the officers and Executive board members of the three districts comprising the anthracite fields, the three international board members i11 the hard coal regions and three mine workers from each district. No announcement has been made as to the number of men who will repre- sent the coal mine owners. It is eX- 1ected, however, that after the de- mands are formally presented and views are exchanged between the two sides, a small subcommittee will be named to carry the actual negotia- tions
 When in final form the agreement will be presented to the full com hi1LtOO 1o1 thdopCAOAA' III CiAS Se%SS VI the miners, the agreement will have to go back to the convention of the mine workers for ratification.
 Whether the mine workers will re- main at work, if an agreement is not reached by March 31, will depend largely, it is said, on how strenuously the operators oppose the demands. No opinion has thus far been given by ~either side as to the outcome of the negotiations The opinion was eX- dressed, however, that the negotia- tions probably would not be taken up seriously until the bituminous wage scale has been agreed upon.
 The demands of the mine workers are as follows:
 "That the next contract be for period of not exceeding two years and that the making of individual agree ments and contracts in the mining of coal shall be prosecuted
 "The contract wage scales be in- creased 60 per cent, and that the in creases secured in the supplemental agreements of 1917 and 1918 shall be included in the wage scale as the basis upon which the 60 per cent shall be added and that all day men be granted an increase of s2.OO per day.
 "A uniform wage scale be estab- 1ished so that the various occupations of like character at several collieries shall command the same wage and th shovel crews operating for coal companies shall be paid not less than the rates paid by the contractors to shovel men.
 "A work day of not more than six hours from bank to bank be estab- ished for all classes of inside and outside day labor, five days per week, the uniform sales to be the basis upon which advance above demanded shall apply with time and half time for for overtime and double time for Sundays and holidays
 "A closed shop contract which means full recognition of the United Mine Workers of America as a party to the agreement
 "All dead work shall be paid for on the consideration basis existing at the colliery and that where more than one miner is employed they shall receive the same rate.
 Payment for all sheet iron, props, timber, forepol1ing and cribbing Where mines are prevented from working on account of lack of supplies that they be accorded the opportunity of making shift at some other work
 ''In the settlement of grievances the