The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-09
Miners START
TO u NI0NIzE
NON-UNON FIELD
Drive Opens to Regain
Lost Ground
By ART SHIELDS, Federated Press.

BY ART SHIELDS, Federated Press,
CLEARFIELD, Pa. OPP July T.
The hardships or a non-union mining
community are summarized in state
ment by the president of district 2,
United Mine Workers, announcing a
movement to organize the men EN-,
ployed by the big coal subsidiaries of
the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh
Railroad interests in Indiana and
Jefferson counties Field offices have
been opened in Indiana, Pa, some
fifty-odd miles east by north of Pitts
burgh and organizers are getting busy
despite injunctions, mounted guards
and ever-present company spoilers"
The statement hits the "spotter," as
we'll as the company store, and the
fraudulent weighing that robs the
miner at the tipple, the 400 and 500
wags cuts and all the other leading
features Of the scab coal town scheme.
The statement following in part;
Wage sIashes.
"In addition to the direct wage cut
OF more than 800, there are indirect
reductions that bring the total cut
down to 1919 and 500. Little or no
pay for dead work has become the
rule. Complaint about short weight
is general. Without union there is
no checkweighman on the tipple to
guarantee that the men get paid for
all the coal they load. The high price
company store still further slashes
the miners standard of living. Men
complain that if they purchase goods
from independent merchants-who
charge 1870 to 2O9o less than the COM
pany stores-they are endangering
their jobs.
Conditions Worsened.
Working conditions are worsened
For example, more car pushing is re-
quired of the men than formerly.
Motormen and other day men have
been speeded up. The men are worked
to the point of exhaustion. Constant
complaint is made that non-union man.
agement neglects safety rules.
ITO mention a grievance to the
boss invites discharge.
"a large and oppressive police and
spy system is maintained. The
Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh
miner is constantly under scrutiny
even in his personal life outside of
working hours. The company spot.
ter is everywhere. And the cost of
these spies is thrown on the industry
while the management refuses to bear
the cost of the American standard of
living.
Part Time Work.
with all this, full time is not Sc.
cured, tho the management had prom.
ised that the lower wages would bring
steady employment. Some of the
Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh
mines are not operating at all, and the
rest average but three days a week
Non-unionism has not brought pros
perity. Instead several merchants
have gone bankrupt and commercial
travellers say business was never
worse.
Under these irksome conditions
the miners who yielded to the bland
ishments of contract-breaking opera
tors are beginning to realize that their
promises are not more binding than
was their wage agreement"
The Buffalo, Rochester and Pitts
burgh group is the largest coal enter
prise in central Pennsylvania, EN-
ploying some 5000 men at its peak
The company repudiated the Jackson
vile three-year contract late in 1924
After long periods of lockout and
starvation, most of the mines were
eventually opened. Strikes followed
then came injunctions and wholesale
arrests. The union still holds a few
towns in this region and seeks to re-
cover its lost ground in the weak
sector.