The Washington times., 1923-05-30
UNIONS BATTLE
ON OPERATION
OF MINE
Coal Diggers Charge Locomo-
tive Engineers Have Adopted
Open Shop.
BY WILLIAM j. HUSKE.
national News Service.


CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 30
eve ask no mans union affilia-
tons"
This was the answer of Warren
S. Stone, chairman of the board of
directors of the Coal River Colliery
Company, operating mines in West
Virginia and Eastern Kentucky to-
day to the statement of Fred
Mooney, secretary of District II,
United Mine Workers of America,
that the International Miners Union
had called a strike at their mines
because of the adoption OF the
''open shop" policy. Stone, as grand
chief Of the Brotherhood Of Loco
motive Engineers, is head of one
of the strongest and oldest labor
uniens in the United States.
First news of the battle between
two of the strongest labor unions in
the United States was contained in
International News Service dis
patches from Charleston, w. Va,
yesterday. These reports were con-
firmed by Stone at his offices here.
Pay Miners Union Scale.
''At our workings in West Vir-
ginia we pay the union scale"
Stone explained. "Men may join
the union or stay out. In Eastern
Kentucky the miners are not organ
lied They can form a union il
they want to. We pay the prevail
ing rate of wages, and we have not
sought to compel the men either TO
stay out of the union or go into 1t.
The Coal River Colliery Company
is largely owned by members OF
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers. A 100000 corporation
was organized during the coal strike
of 1922, the mines purchased, and
in the announcement policy it was
stated that the company, unlike
other corporations, had a soul.
1t was the second big cooperative
enterprise fathered by the railroad
brotherhood, the first being the
Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers National Bank here, which
has enjoyed phenomenal success.
Mooney, secretary of the miners
in West Virginia, the scene of re-
cent titanic struggles with opera
tors which eliminated in the
miners war of 1921, which ended
only with the calling out of Federal
troops, reiterated today in a tele-
gram to International News Service,
his charge that the colliery had
definitely adopted the open shop
policy of operation.
All the men employed at the
West Virginia workings are on
strike" he said. after an organiza-
ton of the workers had been per-
fected, he continued, conference
was held with officials OF the mine |
company.
Wrote NASTY" Letters.
1--WE received no satisfaction"
Mooney declared. 1.-THE matter was
then taken up through the interna-
tional organization with Stone. He
wrote US some very nasty letters. |
He said the mine was not a brother
hood enterprise, but an independent
business, owned by individual mem I
bers of the brotherhood, and re- |
fused to sign our contract. He
added that it would operate as an |
open shop NINE"
A final conference was held after !,
the miners had quit their jobs, |
Mooney said, at which the mine
union officials were told that the
only way they could get back their |
Jobs would be to "apply as indi- |
viduals without union affiliations"
Strike breakers have been
brought into the mine, according to !
our reports" Mooney continued. |
matters are now in the hands Of |
John l.. Lewis, international presi- |
dent. We will send men from dis |
trict headquarters at Charleston |
within the next few days to take |
charge Of the situation"
The company is now engaged in |!
opening up several new mines. At
these, mine union officials said; no !
effort has been made to organize, |
as 1t was against the policy of the |
United Mine Workers to attempt !
organization untn shipments begin. |