Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-22
STRIKE APRIL
IN both COAL
FIELDS sure
Formal Order For Suspen.
sion Of Work Issued
From indianapolis
TO PROTECT PLANTS
Statement Calls Upon Miners to Pro-
tect Property and Preserve The
Peace.

inNlaHdliO NatCI IL ouspSh'
sion of work by all union coal miners
at midnight, March 81, was ordered
today by officers of the United Mine
Workers of America, the call being
the first ever issued for both bitunin-
Gus and anthracite workers to walk
out simultaneously.
Six hundred thousand men will be
directly affected by the order, it was
estimated officially. The suspension,
the order provided, will continue until
stopped by union officials.
The order, which was sent to the
5000 local unions, directed the miners
to give the operators their fullest CO.
operation in the protection of mine
property, and counseled against vioo-
lence and violations Of the law. In ad-
dition to affecting all union miners in
the United States, the order also di-
rected approximately $3.50 union men
in Western Canada to join in the
walkout. but did not apply to $4,000
miners in Nova Scotia.
Never before in the history OF the
coal industry has a suspension or
strike order called for cessation OF
work by all union miners in the Unit
ed States. In the past wage contracts
in the bituminous and anthracite
fields have not expired at the same
time, but complete tieup in union
fields was considered during the great
anthracite strike in 1902 a SYM
pathetic strike by the bituminous
miners at that time was rejected by
the unions convention. it being argued
that the soft coal workers were bound
by contract. "
The issuance of the call came with
the recent strike vote of soft coal
miners not completely tabulated, but
it was said officially that the work of
the unions board Of tellers had pro-
gressed to such a point as to show
every field voting Overwhelmingly IN
favor of 4 suspension. Indications
were that nine-tenths of the miners
favored the walkout.
Cessation of the suspension, in
whole or part, is left to the unions
policy committee, composed OF more
than 100 union officials, which will
meet in Cleveland on Friday to con-
slider plans for conducting the strike.
Outstanding among the questions to
be considered by the committee is that
of negotiating single State wage
agreements. A division within the
committee on this question seems cer-
tain, with indications that majority
will oppose the single State PROPOSE
tion.
The suspension order, which said
blame Off the walkout in the soft coal
fields rested with the operators for
refusing to negotiate q new contract
with the union. and wit hthe failure to
reach new agreement with the hard
coal operators. was mailed by office
employees at the unions headquarters
here in the absence of officials.
The procedure, however. had pre-
viously been arranged bv officials, and
the release of the call, which was
dated yesterday. was directed by OIL
GERS. who are in New York meeting
with anthracite operators.
William Green. secretarytreasurer
of the rnion, made the text public on
his arrival here from Coshocton, Ohio,
where he had been the last few days.
He declined to make any comment,
saying the order was self-eXplana-
tory.
The unions membership, excluding
that in Nova Scotia, which will not be
affected by the strike, is about 100000
men. Of these, about $4,000 are IN
the three anthracite districts of Penn
sylvania, and the remainder scattered
over the soft coal fields.
Past suspensions in the anthracite
fields. however, have practically
closed all operations, leading to the
official estimate that almost 100000
men will be called out of the mines.
The order was not sent into Nova
Scotia, because the miners there were
said to be working under an arrange
ment made some time ago when a
contract expired. and it was said that
the injection of the strike order might
complicate the situation so as to make
any future agreements impossible.
The miners attitude in calling the
suspension was set forth fully in the
call. which also related the authority
under which the officials acted II
issuing it.