The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1922-05-03
Frederick Haskln's Letter
Industrial Code For Coal Industry

workers against being disciplined
without hearing.
The Kenyon proposal for the coal
industry proceeds along similar
lines After providing for the ere
alton of a board to hear and adfnsr
controversies it lays down the gen
erel principle that "all the decis-
ions OF the labor board with rs-
spect to wages and working condj-
tons of employees shall establish
rates of wages, and standards Of
working conditions which, in tho
opinion of the board, are Just and
reasonable"
The bill then provides that in de-
termining the business and reason
ableness of such wages or working
conditions the board, in addition 10
ether relevant principles, stand
ards and facts. shall take into CON
sideration and be guided By II fun
damental principles. These basic
principles, which comprise what
may be termed the coal code, are as
follows:
Eleven Fundamental
1. Coal is a public necessity, aud
in its production and distribution
the public interest is predominant
2. Human standards should be
the consraining influence Ia fixing
the wages and working conditions
of mine workers.
8. Capital prudently and honest
ly invested in the coal INDUSTRY
should have an adequate return.
4. The right of operators and
miners to organize is recognized
and affirmed. This right shall rot
be denied, abridged or inteFfersd
with In any manner whatsoever,
nor shall coercive measures of any
kind be used by employers or en-
ployes, or by their agents or rep
resentatiyes. to compel or to induce
employers or employees to exercise
or to refrain from exercising these
rights.
5. The right of operators and Of
miners to bargain collectively
through representative of their
own choosing is recognized and af-
Hrmed
s. The miners who are not mem
bers of union have the right to
work without being harassed by
fellow workers who may belong to
unions. The men who belong to
union have the right to work with
OUT being harassed by operators.
The organizations have a right to
60 into non-union fields and by
peaeeful methods try to persuade
men to join the union. but they
have no right to try to induce en-
ployes to violate contracts which
they have entered into with their
employers, and the operators on
the other hand have the right by
peaceable means to try to persuade
men to refrain from joining the IN
ions
z. The right of every unskilled
or common laborer to earn a lIv-
ing wage sufficient to maintain a
normal family in health and rea-
sonable comfort, and to afford an
opportunity for savings against IN
employment. old age, and other
and af7irmed. Above this basic
wage for unskilled workers, differ
entails in rates of pay for other
mine workers shall be established
for skill, experience. hazards or
employment and productive eff
cheney.
s. The right of women to en-
gage in industrial occupations is
recognized and affirmed; their
rates of pay shall be the same as
those of male workers for the same
or equivalent service performed;
they shall be accorded all the
rights and guarantees granbd TO
male workers and the conditions Of
their employment shall surround
them with every safeguard of their
health and strength and guarantee
them the full measure of pTotec-
tion which is the debt of society 10
mothers and to potential mothers.
9. Children under the age Of Is
years shall not be employed in the
mines
TO- Six days shall be the stand
ard work week in the industry with
one days rest in seven. The stand
ard work day shall not exceed
eight hours a day.
IL. Punitive overtime shall be
paid for hours worked each day IN
excess of the standard work pay.