Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-05
MINERS WANT
GUARANTEE Of
WAGES To 1925
Policy B o d y Makes
Demands to Be Sought
in 1923 Conference.
Lewis Submits Names
Asked by US. in Max
ing up a Commission.

Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 4.-(By The
Associated Press THE policy COM
mittee of the Naited Mine Workers OF
America in session here Wednesday
reaffirmed the demands of the Febru-
airy, 1922. convention of the union in
Indianapolis, demanding the continu-
ance of the present wages in coal mines
until 1925, and in addition, the six
hour day and five-day week, time and
one half for overtime work and double
time on Sundays and holidays. These
demands will be presented to the next
scale conference of miners and operat-
ors prior to the expiration, March 81,
next. of the Cleveland agreement,
signed here last August, which practi--
cally settled the soft coal strike and
which is now in force.
Wednesdays decision by the policy
committee to stand on their old de-
mands makes it unnecessary for the
miners union to hold a convention be-
tween now and next April, John l..
Lewis, preside-t of the United Mine
Workers of America, announced. The
old schedule of demands never was pre-
sented to the operators because the
producers HSsUCltJtoub III dhC oiA 1NH
tral competitive field-Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and western Pennsylvania. re-
fused to meet the union before the
miners strike began April i, last.
Day laborers' wages in bituminous
mines is $3.50 and this has been the
scale since the summer of 1920.
Joint Meeting Ends
The policy committees meeting fol-
lowed the final session of joint con-
ference of operators and miners, meet
ing here since Monday TO take prelim-
mary steps toward wage negotiations
next January.
The Joint conference, representing
all important union bituminous coal
producing districts in the nation.
Wednesday agreed upon method of
selecting delegates to a conference to
meet in Chicago, November II, to
formulate a method of procedure To be
followed by the bituminous coal indus
try in negotiating wage scale agree
ment to become effective April 1. 1923.
The setting up of this committee
was provided under the terms of the
Cleveland agreement and leaders on
both sides declared it to be highly
important accomplishment. Phil IL.
Penna, secretary of the Indiana Coal
Operators association and chairman
of the joint conference, declared 1t
made possible reconstruction of the
bargaining machinery which had been
broken up before the coal strike.
The representation on the committee
selected Wednesday consists of two
operators and two miners from each
of 10 mine union districts throughout
the country. The president of each
miners union district would be one of
the miners committee and the other
would be appointed by him.
Act on u. S. Request
At Wednesday mornings session of
the joint conference, committee was
named by operators and miners to
bring in report on what action the
would take on the telegram
sent BY Secretary of Commerce Hoov-
er and Secretary of Labor Davis, ask
ing the conference TO name panel of
20 names of persons "disassociated'
with the coal industry as possible mem
bers of President Harding's fact find
ing commission provided under the
terms of the Borah- Winslow bin. The
committee reported that because OF
the difference of opinion between min
ers and operators on the matter, each
side shall reserve unto itself the right
TO submit panel of 10 names as being
expressive of their desires in The mat
ter"
Following the adoption of this motion
by the joint conference, telegram
was sent by the operators to Secretary
Hoover. stating that they believed that
the suggestion to name q fact-finding
was not q matter for the
of the joint conference
and that they prefer to leave its
selection to the president without sug-
gestion from the coal operators"
The telegram further stated that I'VE
shall give the commission our full CO.
operation"
President Lewis. for the miners,
wired 10 names to Secretary Hoover
but declined to make them public.
The joint conference gave up the
proposed commission of inquiry within
the industry, the naming of which was
a clause Of the Cleveland agreement,
explaining that at the time this was
decided upon, the Borah- Winslow blu
creating a fact finding commission had
not been proposed.