The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-23
OHIO MINERS
MUST FIGHT
COAL FLUTES
Many Miners Are Unem-
ployed for Over Year
ey a Worker correspOndent.

BY a Worker Correspondent.
COLUMBUS, O., July 21.-The coal
operators of this state have organized
to resume full time operations on "a
broad policy respecting the employ
ment of labor" For some time the
coal operators have been trying to
get the officials Of the United Mine
Workers Union into conference in
order to convince them that 1t is alb
solutely necessary for the miners to
go down to the 1917 scale in order
that the mines of southeastern Ohio
may compete with the mines in West
Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Seyenty-five operators from all over
the state met here on July IL and de-
liberated on how to re-employ the 70
per cent OF the miners who are idle
today, some Of them having been out
Of employment for more than a year
Unanimity Of opinion reigned thruout
the sessions, altho very little informa-
ton has reached the outside world
Horace Robbins, Of Cleveland, who
was chairman of the meeting, refused
to interpret the broad policy" as
meaning the open shop. He is leaving
that to the public to infer. 1--WE will
reach the union and non-union ques-
ton when that point in the contro-
versy is reached" he said. "Our one
objective is to open the mines" What
the attitude of the operators is has
been clear for some time. Mr.. Maher,
big Cleveland coal operator, recently
sent out letter to the miners insist
ing upon modification Of the scale"
which had only one meaning re6uc-
ton.
Start over Again.
The miners are not ready to make
any concession to the operators They
know that once they accept any re-
duction in wages the same cry will go
up. The West Virginia, Kentucky and
Tennessee operators will reduce the
wages of their men and the vicious
cycle will be entered upon once more.
The resolution which was adopted
at the meeting states that "the indus
try be placed upon a basis which,
while fair to the miner, yet will per-
nit of the early and general resump-
ton of successful operation of these
mines in the competition which they
encounter in marketing their COAL"
This is a declaration of war on the
United Mine Workers organization in
this state. The miners are in a bad
condition. Only 1000 of the $4,000 min
ersin the union in this state are work
ing under union conditions. AS stated
above, many of them have been with
out work for more than year, some
for more than two years. Many Of
them have been living on So a week
contributed by the union. This is an
untenable situation, and the miners
must prepare to fight.
Actions Will Prove.
Whether it is an offensive against
the union is hard to tell at the present
time. The individual operators, in oc-
casional statements, have declared
that they have nothing against the
union, but insist that conditions be
changed so that they may operate
profitably- This, however, appears to
be smokescreen-they are out to
kill the union and are preparing for
the expiration of the agreement on
April /, 1927. In any case, a union
that accepts the terms of the opera
tors is no union; a union that will
not fight to improve the conditions of
the workers is no union. This time
the miners face the issue of whether
the union is to be saved or not.
The southeastern Ohio miners will
meet the challenge of the coal opera
tors and will fight.