The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-03
Lewis Proposal Is
Betrayal of Strikers
fContinued II om nnee u

(COntlnued II ON page ~
ton. The board of Cancellation shall
dispose of the matter as promptly as
possible after the receipt of the report
of the fact finding commission.
No Strikes-LoWer Costs.
5. The board of Cancellation shall
also investigate and recommend 'prac-
tical methods for increasing efficiency
and reducing the operating costs of
mines and recommend the most prac-
teal manner for avoiding suspension
of mining and for assuring the public
of an uninterrupted supply of COAL"
6. In. each district a joint commits
sion of one miner and one operator
with the conciliators from each dis
trict shall "endeavor in every prac-
tical way to strive for greater COOP
GRAFTON, harmony and efficiency in the
industry" and have the support of the
operators, the district organization
and international union of the miners
in its work.
Modified checkoff.
Z. In consideration of this COOP
Grafton the operators shall recognize
written request of any mine work
ers to assign a portion of his wages
or earnings for the purpose of con-
Quoting the administration affairs of
the mine workers organization and
paying the pro-rata share of the mine
workers to the commission set up in
this agreement and for the further
purpose Of carrying out the provisions
Of this agreement in general said
amount to be assigned and deducted
not to exceed the sum of $14 per an
num-"
8. The board of Cancellation shall
proceed to equalize wages as agreed
in 1928 and handle matters relating
to conditions, etc.
This proposal is a direct violation
of the demands of the tri-district con-
vention held prior to the strike. The
convention demanded a ten percent
increase, short term agreement, and
the checkoff. All of these proposals
are sabotaged by the Lewis proposal.
Arbitration Carefully Hidden.
The proposal agrees to arbitration
under carefully worded phrases. The
present wages are to continue for two
years, and then the recommendation
OF the fact finding commission will
decide whether the miners should get
a raise. Only a modified form of the
checlSoff is asked. The essence of the
proposal is contained in sections five
and six which would turn the nnion
into part OF the operators machinery
for increasing production and lower
ing production costs not only nation
ally but in each district.
This agreement would betray the
miners to the operators. But the OPP
orators are not satisfied. They de-
mand even more from Lewis than
this. They know that Lewis will not
call out the maintenance men, nor
call a general strike in the industry.
Therefore they can stand pat know
ing that Lewis will finally give in to
them. In this respect the Wall
Street Journal states:
"Whlttllng Down Demands"
"He Uewis) is fighting to retain
his job at any price. To do so he is
probably whiting down his demands
to the minimum OF what he could
claim as a victory"
The only hope that the miners have
OF forcing settlement that will protect
their interests is TO enforce their de-
mands for the withdrawal OF the
maintenance men, to carry on nego-
tiations openly thru delegates elected
by the rank and file until the demands
formulated at the tri-district conven-
ton have been granted by the oper-
ators.