The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-26

state Joint agreement, many changes
have como IN the coal industry,
among them tho following
Eisht-hour day for miners and
mine hborcrr. universal mr~o-run
basis for determining tonnage on
which wages are based. increased
wages, abolition OF company stores.
commonly known as pluck mes"
hrttur mining laws, Improved work.
ng conditions and continuity OF la
bpr supply
The Interstate Movement,
Tho Interstate movement as II has
been practiccd IN the past history or
tho SOFT ronl induatry consists OF the
operators ana miners each drafting
u set ot demands The miners In
Nariuhly asked wage increases and
the operators asked wage reductions
or changed working conditions or
both each side usually asking more
than cIthcr expected The result ot
the negotiations between operators
and miners fixed wage rates and
working conditions for the so-callcd
central competitive Held, composed
OF western pennsylvania, Ohio, llll-
nois aud Indiana.
For all other soft coal states,
petitiyc field rates. similarly. this
union anthracite mincrs and oper-
ntors all In i'ennsYlyania--ne neEOti-
nto agreements. The mipers' union
h not recognized hy the anthracite
operators except that officials of the
union have since 1908 appeared In
Joint meetings with the operators
ana their employees as representative
of the latter
Although In existence many years
the system OF bargaining In the soft
coal fields rs now being attacked In
both criminal and civil proceedings
pending IN the federal court here.
More than two hundred operators,
miners and retailers are charged In
an indictment with conspiracy To
violate the antitrust laws by COM
hinluE TO restrain trade, and torcs
unfair prlccs upon the consuming
public, Action In the case Is at n
standstill awaiting removal OF non
resident operators who are among
the defendants
started In 1898.
Both the goyornmcnt's indictment
aud the Borderland company's suit
| charge the alleged conspiracy was
| entered into in 1893 when the inter-
! state movement was revived, with
! the union getting wage advances for
the workers and obtaining the es-
| tabllshmont OF the eight hour day In
| the ContTal competitive field. In re-
| turn for these concessions by tho
operators, u IL charged the union
agreed ia shut off tho competition
OF non-uniOn coal, giving n monopoly
10 the operators running a closed
union shop. Both the union and tho
operators deny tho charges, and have
retained imposing arrays OF counsel
10 contest the cases
Since 1919. all tho wage agree
meats OF the central competitive
field have Included this provision:
THAT internal difference bo referred
FOR adjustment 20 the various dis
trlcts affected, Il being understood
that nothing shall bo done In dis
trict or suh.dlHirict convention that
viii Increase tho cost OF production
or reduce the earning capacity OF the
men" This provision ia interpreted
To bind operators and miners 10
strict Observance OF wage scales
agreements. ana prevent any action
by either that might change the
terms OF employment, But strike
comes whom Tie opportunity for
negotiations has passed. and the
threat OF n big wnlkout starting
4
whether the operators for the whole
central competitive field agree to
meet the miners.
Two unusual changes have been
made during the life OF contracts. A
voluntary reduction wss taken by the
miners IN 1895 and two increases oc
wages came IN 1900 with contro-
versy. The agreement covering the
year 1896 was made with the UNDER
standing that Il must be observed by
all operators, especially one big COM
pauy OF the Pittsburgh district, In
July Of that year, operators Insisted
that tho big company bo made to
respect the scale and tho unions
failure 10 induce The company TO do
20 was followed hy the miners ~ tho
Pittsburgh district being called Into
convention. I3y resolution the con-
voution declared an operators should
bo treated Hllkc aud ID reduced the
nrln0 cents % ton 10 meet the wage
paid bv the one big company
Iu 1917 the central competitive
i.ld Halo had been I'm effect since
AprI j. 1915 ana wlH 10 continue
uuUu ADrI D. 1913 Union officials
complained that conditions growing
out OF tho world war made Increased
wages uonpIHurE and me operators
granted am advance OF 10 cents ton
Later "a similar advance was OBJ
lIuod lhC operators cOnccdlng II
when the governments wartime fuel
administration approved an advance
i'm prices tp meet the higher wage.
Further wage advances came after
tho 1919 soft coal strike on an award
of government commission, and to-
day the wages OF the miners are
Eald 10 De the highest paid In tho
coal Industry