Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-15
Miners and Operators Meet in
New York to Negotiate
New Agreement
MEN FORMULATE DEMANDS
~ the Associated Press

~
comprising the Scale Committee hav"
been in tho city several days corfer
ring. the last to arrive being John J.. ,
Lewis. president of the national organ
ization Of the United Mine Workers.
Tho nineteen demands Of III" miners
formulated at their convention III Sha,
mokin. Pa. in January And ratified
by the nat ional convention at IN
dianapOliS last month. are I" be tor.
mally presented {" the operators ana
explained in detail by various ohr'r,
of the union. The operators are OK.
l,cctcd immediately 10 take them Und"r
consideration and 10 make " statement
of their position on Friday.
Ask Increase Of ~ Per Cent
The miners are asking for n - per-
cent increase in contract rates, among
other things. while the mine owners
are on record as favorng n decrease br
low the present working basis.
II is not expected that an agreement
will be reached before the end Of tn"
month. and in that event the Seal"
Committee Of the hard coal workers is
under instructions Of the Shamokin CON
vention to order suspension OF min
ing until a satisfactory agreement is in
sight. \ referendum vote on the Qucs-
tOn Of Suspension was not taken IN
the anthracite fields. til" action "f tn"
convention having been deemed as "N-
pressivc OF the wishes OF the men.
The National Policy Com!nitt"e of the
mine workers has the power To set asid"
suSpen sion. If il sees fit, but. accord
ing to union leaders here. such action
Is not likely. II is the opinion Of min
ers and many of the operators that y
suspension in the hard coal fields ~
PENNSYLVANIA is certain. If 1t comes.
it Is expected there will be Il complete
cessation of production.
Coal Shortage Not Expected
4 shortage of anthracite iS not an
ticipated unless the expected su>n'nsion
should run into the summer. which Is
not looked for by the miners. TIL"
demand for coal during the winter wa
below normal. due to mild weather am
high prices. but despite this the anthra-
cite mines have been kept steadily ~
work and there is a fair supply OF conI
on hand both in the big storage yards
OF the mining companies and IN the
larger retail yards Of the East. It was
said.
The miners enter the joint confcrcnc"
determined. they said. to resist with
all their power any effort TO reduc"
their present wage scale as indicated by
the operators. There must lie no
backward step President Lewis has
said. and the miners have declared
themselves az unanimous in backing w
that sentiment.
The position of the operators is being
looked forward to with great interest
by the miners and others interested III
i Il thn ~ 4
statement that the workers should
share in the general defat on by a"-
cept;ng a wage cut. the mine owners
have not indicated what proposition
they will maxi. II has been reported
that they are not Il unit on what per
ccntage or decrease they should ask.
Sixth Wage Conference
The present IS the sixth general
wage conference held In 'h' hard coal
fields since the award in 1908 of the
anthracite coal strike commission APP
pointed By President Roosevelt as
result of the long strike in 1907. In
1908 the contract miners were awarded
Il 10 per cent increase in wages. y"
increase was granted in the negotla-
tions Of 1906 or 1909. hut in III.
there was another advance Of 10 per
cent. Part of this. however was lost.
miners contend, by the abolition OF the
sliding scale. whereby wages moved up
or down as the price OF coal varied n
tidewatrr. In 1916 the contract men
we're given Il per cent increase and
men paid by the day had their hours
reduced from min" to eight n day ana
were given . per cent advan"e in
wages which amounted 10 10 per cen
Increase when the reduction Of hours
was figured in.
The 1916 contract was made !" r,n
for four years, but ms Il result OF e."
war this agreement was changed H.
April, 1917. when th" operators
granted an increase Of 10 per cent be-
cause Of the advancing cost Of living
Day labor vas given Increases OF vary
ing amounts. This was followed III No
ycmber Of the same year by an increase
TO - per cent over the 1916 basis ann
in 1913 the wages Of contract men wtr"
advanced to 40 per cent over the 1916
rate. Day labor was proportionatciH
increased. There were protracted
negotiations for new agreement when
the 1916 scale expired in 1920, and re
mission By President Wilson. which
awarded the men Il per cent increase
and two year contract which comes
to an end March 81.
Demands Of Miners
The principal demands of III" miners
are a. follows:
\ two-ycar contract.
4 70 per cent increase in tn" con.
tract wage s"ale 81 q day increase
to all labor paid by the day and that
diffcrrntials existing between different
classes Of employees prior to the 1870
award be restored
4 uniform wage scale in all col
lierirs for occupations of like character
An eight hour day for all employees
those working underground TO count
thclr hours from the time they enter
the mine until they leave it.
4 standard check of provision.
That where coal Is paid for by tn"
car the System be changed 10 a ton