The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-31
MASS ACTION BY
WYOMING; coal.
MIH |: SIRIAE. HI
Fight Agreement for
Wage Cut
gv r SrOH

Union Pacific and the burlington
railroads. Due to this situation it
has managed to keep working while
the rest of the miners were on
strike. In 1922 the Wyoming min
ers struck, but there was no sharp
struggle here. Its contract was
based on the agreement in the east
ern fields. At the same time the
Wyoming coal miners had wage
scale somewhat higher than the
other miners, All this tended 10 iao-
late the miners here from the strug-
giles of the miners in the eastern
states.
However, as the strike Of the
bituminous fields was coming to a
close the miners Of District % be-
gan to realize that their conditions
would be affected AS that realiza
ton began to spread through the
ranks their interest in the movement
of the workers in the east increased,
The organizers of the National
Miners Convention Arrang
Committee could record some sue
eassful meetings. The miners be-
gan to insist that their contributions
for relief be sent through the Ma
ticnal Miners Relief Committee.
They began collecting funds for the
National Miners Convention.
Give Orders to Officials.
The agreement in District % ex-
nired on October &c. Weeks before,
negotiations began. The coal min
ers, wary Of their officials, in
atructed their delegates not to vote
on the agreement if it were below
the present scale. For fifteen days
the convention sat with the oper-
ators and failed to come to an agree
ment. Finally the sessions were
suspended. The miners and the OPP
orators representatives parted ways.
The miners went back TO their To-
calls and Mr.. MacAuliffe, the man.
ager Of the Union Pacific Coal
Mines, headed for Indianapolis to
see John L. Lewis.
When the convention reeonvened
it found that an agreement had al
ready been prepared and that Lewis
had sent a representative to see
that it passed. This gentleman
Mr.. Hefferley-said that he would
ram the agreement down the min
ers' throats and make them like it
The operators were already so GER
tain that the agreement would pass
that the, left the convention saying
that the miners could take the agree.
ment or strike and that no change
would be made. The convention
then sat for five days doing nothing
On October 16 the delegates from
the locals were still at Cheyenne
negotiating. The operators were OF
the job, however. They convinced
the coal miners in some mines to &
back to work under the new scale
Mass Action.
At Rock Springs, however, tn,
miners called great mass meeting
at which more than $500 lnine,f
were present. This meeting We
called for the purpose Of rejecting
the agreement. When the distric
officials and Hefferley found on
what was going on they rushed tt
Rock Springs to convince the min
ers to go back to work. 1t is in
teresting to note here the argu
ments advanced by Hefferley in ia
vor of the miners accepting the new
scale. ''The company has been goo,
to you all this time" he said. "The,
kept you at work and they CAV
you good wages. Now you mus
help out the company. Even if yo'
can get the present scale now yor
will have to strike later. So VIII,
not be good" etc.
When the coal miners heard thi
they refused to let Hefferley or tn
district officials speak further an
drove them out Of the hall.
temporary Set-b3Ch.
The agitation of the miners wa
great. But there was no organize
leadership. At this meeting tn
miners decided to strike. The neX
morning all but three miners strucl
Under the attack Of the official
and through their treacherous woc
the miners were forced back ii
next day. The vote on the agree
ment comes up on October 20.
The first day Of the strike til
National Miners Union issued
leaflet calling upon the miners I
join the National Miners Union an
to fight the wage cut. The minel
took up the slogan
The National Miners Union hs
sent organizers through Wyomin
to explain the meaning Of the was
cut. MacAuliffe, of the Union P;
cific Railroad, stated: "Tha ne
agreement provides for further il
PRODUCTION Of machinery. . wi
weed out ali troub,c-making ell
,nents out of my organization "
Wage Cut and Unemployment.
What does this agreement mea
to the miners? Not only a wage CT
Of from $1.20 to $3.50 q day, bl
the spectre of unamplo5 ment and I
further wage reduction, as well
the firing of all active, militant col
miners.
Tha coal r,ainers nndnrsfand III