The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-31
COAL OPERATORS
Win VICTORY IN
WILKES BARRE
Lewis and CappeIIini
Aid in Breaking Strike
BIZ THoMAs MYERscoueH.

BY THOMAS MYERscoucH.
WILKES BARRE. Pa, Oct. 3d.
without attempting to deny that the
operators have fiagrantly violated the
existing agreement between them.
selves and the U. M. W. Of A., the un.
ion ofhcials have succeeded in getting
the 10000 miners in this region to re-
turn to work without settlement be.
ing reached.
On the plea that the contract must
be lived up to, and that only the Of.
ficials have right to call strikes, the
general grievance committee which
called the two recent strikes in this
region, voted last Saturday to refrain
from calling any other strikes in the
future unless sanctioned by the dis.
trict officials.
Damaging Effect.
While agreeing to the centraliza-
alton Of authority for the purpose of
Strengthening the position of the min
ers in their constant struggle for their
rights, the latest action on their part,
in surrendering the only thing that
they have had to protect their inter
ests, will show itself as the most dam
aging act they have committed since
'the formation Of the general bodies a
few years ago.
1t is safe to predict that before long,
grievances will pile up in greater pro-
portion than is the case now, the ma
ohinery for settling same will move
slower and the miners will once more
feel the need for acting in the only
manner that brings to them the de.
sired results.
Agreement a Joke.
There is a clause in the agreement
which is now in effect, that provides
for the settlement, within sixty days,
of all grievances coming before the
Cancellation board for adjudication,
but the committee responsible, and
Justly so, for the latest strike here
claims, that two grievances against
the Pennsylvania Coal Co. have been
in the hands Of that board for nearly
seven months and are not yet settled.
They are not settled YET, but the men
have returned to the pits and more
promises have been made to them.
Their Idol Faded.
The miners hereabouts, and partic-
ularly those who contributed to Cap
lpeiiinis success are now looking
about for a successor to their faded
idol, and before long it is expected
that an outstanding figure will be
asked to conduct a campaign, in prep
aration for the election to take place
next June. However, there are those
among the rank and file Of the miners
union, who are convinced that the
only way to bring about satisfactory
solution for their problems. is to fight
the fight on class lines and on gener-
al principles and not on a program of
personal and mercenary gain, as was
the case with Cappellini.
What is needed is one who recog-
nizes that there are no interests in
common between the operators and
the miners, that the work of mining
coal is just as hard in one mine as it
is in another, and that, consequently
there should be uniform rate of
pay prevailing.
Separate Agreements.
At the present time every company
has a separate agreement, no two
companies pay the same rates, and
the miners Of at least some Of the
companies, when paid on the day
basis, are rated on ten-hour day,
despite the argument that a uniform
eigh-hour day had been established in
the anthracite region by Lewis.
The recent action here, in calling
off the strike is victory for the op-
orators, Lewis and Cappellini, and a
singing defeat for the miners. 1t
means a continuation Of the struggles
for their rights. altho they have
thrown away their best weapon, but
ere long ! am expecting to be able to
announce thru these columns that
they have again recovered their lost
love, the strike weapon, and are again
on the warpath, fighting for the things
that rightfully belong to them, also
that they were forced to do so when
their officials failed to secure redress
for them.
UNCLE WiCClLYS TRI