The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-11-11
WEST VIRGINIA so C|ETY DEMANDS
PROBE BY U. S. COAL COMMISSION
Organization to Maintain Cons tituona| Rights Insists That
Mine Owners Are Conspll ing Against Union Workers.

Investigation of the .non-unior
fields as we'll as the union fields by
i the United States coal commission Is
asked in letter which was sent to
President Harding and the members
of the commission by the Constitu-
tional Society Of West Virginia. The
letter says that it will not be posi-
BILE to bring about reforms, or sta
bilization, or prevent frequent peri
odic strikes, unless the non-union
fields are made to respect the agree
ments entered into by the miners
union and the unionized operators.
The non-union fields have under
cut" the agreements between the
union and the union operators in the
past so that it is impossible now to
carry out these agreements unless
all operators are made to recognize
them, and put an en- dto unfair COM
petition that brings on strikes and
turmoil in the coal industry. says
the letter. The president and the
commission are not asked to attempt
to include them in the investigation,
and fix a common base for both
union and non-union fields.
The letter in part follows:
1.-THE inquiry into this industry
will be inadequate, futile and with
out avail if it does not go into con-
ditions in the non-union fields as
we'll as in the union fields, and II
the commission in it's findings does
not establish a common base to
which the non-union side as we'll as
the union side shall be bound. In
other words. the recommendations
of the commission should include
and be applicable to non-unionb fields
as well as to union fields.
1.-THE biennial agreement entered
into by the union operators and the
miners union has the practical ef-
feet of putting about one-half OF the
bituminous industry on a fixed and
stabilized base. A definite agreement
for a definite period of time is en-
tered into between operator and
miner.
"Agreements Of this kind do not
exist in the non-union fields. Wages
and working conditions are variable,
and they may be adjusted at any
time as suits the immediate advant-
age and needs of the non-union OPP
orators AS result of this inequit-
able condition a new agreement be-
tween the union operator and the
union miner is no sooner entered in
to than the non-union operator be-
gins to readjust his wage and work.
ing conditions so as to give him an
advantage over that agreement-en-
able him to reduce his production
costs below those fixed upon the
union operator by his new agree
ment,. and sell his Goa! for less
money but at more profit than the
union operator r-sefr nfs~prodrrcts:
1.-The non-union operators main
tain that they have saved the coun-
try during periods of strike in the
union fields. They have not done
anything of the Kind: With their
variable wage scales and: changing
working conditions, and their ten
dency to deal with their employees as
suits their immediate advantage
they have brought on these strikes
and they have harvested the profits
that went with them.
THE non-union fields have dis
rupted the stability of the union
fields to degree that has upset
the working time and aggregate
earning capacity of the union min
ers. The non-union operators are
the greatest oppressors Of the union
miners known to the coal industry.
1T is thus to be seen that the fore
most and most pressing phase of the
coal problem is the divided condi-
ton within the industry-the non
union operator undermining and de-
stroying the stability of any wage
agreement that is entered into by
the union operators and union min
ers. There can be no stability and
lasting peace in the coal industry
until all operators, whether union
Or non-union. are made to conform
to and abide by the same wage and
working condition base in their re-
lations with their employees.
1.-The work Of the coal commits
. sion should be directed to this end if
any lasting good or ultimate pro-
lection to the public is to result
from it's Efforts
The Constitutional Society of West
Virginia has esta blished headquar-
ters in Washington for the hearings
Of the coal commission and will ex-
ert its efforts toward preventing a
repetition of the troubles that have
taken place in coal fields in the past.
With this end in view it is striking
straight at the divided condition in
the coal industry.
Town of BreitunE.