The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-22
UNION OFFICERS
IGNORE MINERS
JOB COMPLAINTS
Agreement Works Only
One Way In Mines
BY A MINER Worker Correspondent

BY A MINER (Worker Correspondent
BENTLEYvILLE, Pa, April 20
Many of the favorable conditions
formerly prevailing have been lost by
the miners in District Five since the
officials signed the last agreement.
The excuse given for not fighting the
company is bad times and fear that
the company will shut down the
mines. On the Bentleyville Branch
there are ten mines, only four Of
which are working. but still these
cowardly officials say it is better than
nothing.
The first condition that the miners
lost was a rule in the mines that if
man worked in a wet place he receiv-
ed $500 extra in two weeks. One day
the company cut of this extra $500
and the men refused to work unless
they could get their we'll earned
money.
Wet Work Not Paid as Agreed.
They took it up with their commit
tee but failed to reach any agreement
with the bosses. They then took it
up with the board members and were
given the decision that if the bosses
wouldn't pay, that they would have to
put the men in dry places.
This the men accepted right away.
The pit boss put them in other places
and hired new men who had been out
! of work about six months. These
men were glad to get jobs under any
conditions and none of them received
one cent extra for working in water.
That was the settlement made by our
good" officials.
The Drivers Complaint Ignored.
Our drivers had been used to start
at $3.50 in the morning to leave the
stable. The mine developed so far
that the drivers could not reach their
working places at seven and the COM
pany fired one driver for not starting
at 700 o'clock as the agreement call
ed for. In fact some of these driv-
ers had a good hours way to travel
underground before they reached
their working places.
This was also taken up with the
company without any result, so they
called upon their board member for
help. He notified them that if they
could not reach their working places
at seven they should leave the stable
earlier or else he could not do any
thing for them in case they got fired
and now the boss takes care of the
firing part.
Waiting for cars-To Help the Boss.
The four mines still operating are
only working from two to four days
week, so the bosses are trying to get
as much coal out on these days as
possible. To increase their tonnage
they have some picked men working
every day, mostly the bosses favored
men. They fill all the empty cars in
the mine from the coal knocked down
by the miners the day before and
| when the latter come to work they
have to wait from two to four hours
before they get their first car.
The miners called a special meet
ing 10 stop this practice and also to
stop the method used by the bosses
of doubling up two men in one place.
They elected a committee to meet
with the bosses, but as usual they
failed to get any results.
Again they asked their board mem
Der to come and help them in their
fight but he told them to do the best
they could, he could not help them be-
cause the company would shut down
the mine II they stop these practices.
The company refused to give the min
ers any satisfaction because they
know they can get much more favor
able decisions from the officials.
No Protection from the Union.
Every day some new bad condition
and not q word OF protest from our
officials because they say we have an
agreement for three years and we
should be glad we are working. How
ever the miners are beginning to see
the point and getting ready for the
fight, II the officials will not fight the
miners are apt to take matters into
their own hands.