Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-21
u. Nj. w. A. WON'T
STAND FOR CUT
IN WAGE SCALE
Union Vice President Serves
Notice in Address at
Convention.
TOUCHES w. VA. WAR

That the United Mine Workers Of
America not only will resist all at
tempts on the part of employers to re-
duce the wages of bituminous coal
miners while the present wage agree
ment which runs until March 81, 1922, Is
In force, but that they will fight for an
increase when tho present agreement
expires, was emphatically stated by
Philip Murray, vice president OF the
union, in his biennial report to the ma
tional convention in session in this city
today. Mr.. Murray also discussed the
West Virginia situation in detail.
"In most of our partially organized
districts the operators have resorted to
the use Of the lockout and the open shop
drive" he said, but their attempts in
this direction also have proved TO be IN
successful The fact that we have sue
.Jceeded in preventing wage reductions
from taking effect in the organized coal
fields Of this country, during the pres
ent depression, is indicative of the high
esteem in which the United Mine Work
ers of America is held by the big in
terests. With the traditional policies Of
our great organization forever in mind,
/ am sure it is the purpose of this con-
vention to declare to the world that we
propose to not only hold what we have
got, but improve upon same upon the
expiration Of the present agreement.
The question may be asked, why the
United Mine Workers of America as
sumcs the attitude that not only do they
propose to maintain their present wage
! scale. but improve upon same at the
expiration of their present agreement.
when practically every other organiza
tioa in thu United States has accepted
big wage cuts during the present year.
We can answer only such questions By
saying that for years the annual earn
:ngs OF the mine workers have been
considerably lower than that of men en-
gagged In other lines of industry. This
fact was developed before the bituminous
coal commission in 1920. when your rep
resentatives showed that the average
earnings Of the mine workers in the
central competitive field amounted to
SS73S5 for the years 1913-191S inclusive.
The coal commission in partial recogni-
ton Of this situation granted our peo-
pie q per cent wage increase, which. If
added to the average annual earnings of
the central competitive field mine work
ers for the period tetween 1918 and 1918,
would have enabled them to make a
grand total of 81 ,120.70 per year.
CAN'T EXCEED
81 500 A YEAR.
Under our present wage scale with
the mines operating as they have been
during normal times on an average of
about two hundred days per year, the
day wage scale Of $50 per day for day
men, and a naverage of about the same
amount per day for tonnage men, our
people can not be expected to exceed in
annual earnings the sum of $1,000. 1t
will be considered. I believe. by all fair
minded men, that a wage scale that only
enables the men engaged in the mining
of coal to earn $500 per year is not
an excessive one. Various other reasons
can be shown for improving our present
wage standards, but l deem it unneces-
sary to offer argument here in support Of
our wage policies. There, of course. will
be a time and place for this. In the
meantime, I am fully confident that your
good judgment viii enable you TO map
out wage policy in keeping with pres
ent day conditions, and one that will
meet with the approval of the member
ship that we have the honor to repre-
sent"
Mr. Murray also discussed the wage sit
uation in the anthracite coal industry.
large part Of his report was devoted to
a detailed history Of the wage negotia-
lions between anthracite miners and Op-
orators in 1920, and the deliberations
and the decision of the Anthracite Coal
Commission.
TOUCHES STRIKE