Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-20
LEADERS DECLARE FATE
OF UNION AT STAKE
Operators Fully Determined
TO Make No Concessions.
They State.
EXPECT No wALKorr ORDER
hH>r ASrccIncnt on Wages w hicf
WIN Cease Ia E>Ist After
Mnrch 81.
tHy United Ncwsl


INDIANAPOLIS. March lo.-C,f
hciais OF the United Mine Workers
OF America are preparing for tho
greatest industria! struggle America
has ever known.
When at least 100000 miners
walk out of bituminous and an,hra
cite coal mines on April /. as is ROW
believed 10 bc inevitable. IL will h,.
the start OF what viii prove to he
Tie longest ana most bitterly fought
strike in the history OF tho indus.
try. experienced observers declare
Leaders cf the miners union are
taking the positions that the coming
controversy i5 going to moan maxi.
or break" for their entire orga:Iisa.
ton They are on the defensive.
.hty say. with the operators fully
determined 10 make no concessions.
They Charge that The same forces
that broHc tho steel strike in 1919
and they say, is now trying To bring
about "pcn-S shop conditions in rail-
road shops. IL behind the coal opera
tors In the present tight.
Miners Would Lose short strike.
II il pointed out by union leaders
that the miners cannot hope to he
successful in a short strike. There
is coal enough above ground now
To last for three months. with the
nonunion districts producing. 1t
would only be by continuation o,
the strike until late summer that
the first real effects of the walk.
out would be felt.
Complete plans for long strug.
G!o have been made. No formal
strike order is expected to be issued
The leaders o; the union are cx.
pectsd to announce that they cannot
continue work unless the men hnv.
aI agrccmcnt on wus"s, and as thct
.r':'ent contract expires larch .
Acre would bc no such arrecmcn..
The real issue ~ The ai.i;;s. out.
prove To be the check -o;i. The
i"tnurs have had tho check on, which
provides that the operators must do.
aust union dues from wages and
send the money 10 the international
Union headquarters here, since III.
strike in 1896. 1t was ihc big issue
In that bitterly fought strike ana il
viii L. a big factor. IL Is expected.
III this one. II Is tho "backbone OF
the union in the opinion OF many
union leaders. Operators arc ca
rccted - ngh, for the discontinu-
ancc OF this agreement az stubborn
ly as they Will for material rcduc-
ton in wages
President iInn Opponents.
In addition to al! the other condl-
lions pointing unprop!tiously TO a
losing fight for the miners, there are
conditions within the union which
may not hc conducive to harmony
continued unemployment.
lrcsiden; John l.. Lewis has DOW
crfui opponents In the union. His
leadership has been seriously op-
posed for months. and his future as
big figure in American labor cir
olcs will be determined by his con
duct in the next two months. IL is
said. He was sustained in the r..-
cent wage convention in his fight to
oust Alexander IIowat. the rad!ca!
Kansas leader. hy hardly 100 votes.
His position is declared TO bo pre-
carious. So. i; Isl believed. once the
waikout taxes place there Will he
nothing 10 be gained by the strike crs
unless they are prepared TO con
i:nuc the strike to decision Tho
wartime Legislation that stopped
the 1919 strike Is no longer opera
tive. Tho government is not cx-
i,cctcd To take drastic steps in stop
ping H. The operators have asked
'hands-oft' policy. and many OF
'iacrs Of the government favor in
tcrvcnt:on by the appointment OF Il
coal commission or any OF the other
suggested steps.