Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-03-23
OPERATORS AND MINERS TO
MEET AGAIN

Declaring that he was without au-
thority to negotiate wage agree
ment until authorized to do so by his
organization, which will convene in
Charleston, w. Va, March 81, C.
Frank Keeney, president of District
No. II, United Mine Workers, yester-
day upset plans of the Northern
West Virginia Coal Operators AS
ISOLATION to effect scales which would
enable the West Virginia fields to
operate despite the national coal
strike, expected April l. Following
the refusal of the labor leader to dis
cuss the wage problem until after the
Charleston meeting, the operators
agreed TO hold another parley at the
|. Southern Hotel on March 25.
Lisle White, president of the OPP
orators association, expressed disap-
pointment that the meeting yesteday
had been fruitless.
"In an effort to reach an agree
ment which will premit the Northern
West Virginia mines to keep in oper-
alton, more than 40 members Of the
organization came to Baltimore"
he said. The scale committee was
here to treat with the miners and our
entire board of directors accompani-
ed them in order to Immediately rat
ify any action they might take. We
are anxious to keep our mines from
shutting down and this meeting was
called at our invitation. This is
quite different from the situation in
other fields where the miners are beg
ging the operators to meet them.
Members of the operators party
declared that they had come to the
meeting without prearranged pol
icy. 1t was planned to discuss wages
and to develope a scale equitable to
both sides. The meeting yesterday
was opened by A. C. BEESON, chair
man of the scale committee, who
stated the purpose of the meeting
and asked the discussion be opened.
Mr.. Keeney then announced that
he was unable to act. Other repre-
senatives of the miners were j. S.
Forinasch of Grafton, president Of
Sub division No. of District II;
Nick Aiello of Fairmont, PRESIDENT of
Sub division a; Robert Peters, secre-
tary of Subdivision A, and Charles
H. Bailey, representatives of Presi-
dent Lewis of the miners national
organization.
The Northern West Virginia coal
fields include Monongahela, Marion
and Webster counties and part of
Nicholas county. The fields include
$50 mines employing normally about
$4,000 miners. The 1921 production
of the fields was14 100000 tons,
nearly all of which was shipped to
Baltimore for export or distribution
along the Atlantic seaboard. Many
Baltimoreans are members of the as
ISOLATION.
An agreement at the March 25 con-
ference will permit many idle mines
to resume operation, it was declared
by Representatives of the operators.
AS the Northern West Virginia field
is one of the three union fields of the
State, it is at present unable to com
pete strongly with the numerous non
union fieldsw hich have established
wage reductions, it was said. In
ether union fields, embracing the
Kanawha and New River regions, eff
forts are now under way to place
the mines on an open shop basis.
which if. successful will increase the
difficulties Of the Nothern operators
unless satisfactory agreement is
reached with the 9nien workers.
The maetine Yesterday was the
first held by tie operators associa-
ton with The miners. In the past
tie Central etitive Field, in
Guiding Ohio lana, Illinois and
Western Co tive Firfdddlyshrd
Western vania, have estab-
lished scales ii were met by the
outlying distrie including the West
Virginia coal Gods Since the Cen
trail Field operators have refused to
meet their workers 5he West Virgin
ia operators, rious to keep millions
Of dollars in en- pment from idleness
a few days a asked Mr.. Keeney to
confer with then in this city.
One of the POINTS which will cause
most difficulty the conference later
in the mont = Re the "check off,
system which " prevails, according
to the operate Under this system
every worker tering a union mine
is required come a member of
the miners aization and the OPP
orator redr n deduct from his
pay initiate sas and dues. The
N0rtharn Wa irciuia fialdS II, ono