The daily worker., 1930-04-30

world war. 1t is due to the shrinkage of the
home and foreign markets, and to overproduc-
tion of hard coal. 1t is due to the cut-throat
competition between the different groups of
operators throughout the world. All kinds of
substitutes are being used to replace coal.
The campaign against Russian coal that is
now being conducted by the operators and their
agents is being done for two purposes
~ As part of the attack against Workers
Russia in trying to prepare the miners for
war.
2) AS means to bring a cut in wages by
yelling about the competition" against Rus
sian coal, which is mined according to these
liars for II cents day by Russian workers.
The Russian miner receives 65 rubles month
($32.50), work hours day. days a week;
gets a months vacation with pay, pays little
rent gets free passes for the railroads and the
best theatres, etc. The miners must be on the
watch against these schemes to cut wages,
for the very same tricks were used by the 1lli-
nois operators in 1927, except that they yelled
about Kentucky coal and not Russian COAL
The operators are trying to overcome the
growing crisis in the anthracite industry at
the expense of the miners. The coal compan-
les want to reduce the cost of production by
paying less wages, speeding the miners up
more; SO that their profits can continue to
grow. In this policy of trying to overcome
the crisis at the expense of the miners; the
operators are very ably assisted by their pals
and agents-the UMWA officialdom.
Position and Role of the UMWA.
Every miner must ask: What has happened
to the United Mine Workers of America?
What is the UMWA doing to protect me? Is
it at all concerned with my working conditions?
The UMWA in the course of the last five
years has undergone complete change. 1t is
no longer in any way, shape, or manner, the
union Of the rank and file. 1t is no longer
the militant union that was once the backbone
of the American labor movement Lewis and
his machine, have seen to it that the UMWA
has been turned into company union. The
UMWA is an agency of the coal operators.
1t serves the companies now. and not the
miners. The officialdom of the UMWA use
fascist methods against the militant rank and
file miners.
Every semblance of democracy has been.
stifled and killed. Militants have been slugged,
victimized, threatened, and expelled. The UNI
WA works hand in glove with the operators
against the miners (recent case in Tamaqua)
The local grievance committees have been de-
prived of all power. and the only recognized"
power is the Cancellation Board, which serves
the operators, and which is the graveyard for
all miners grievances.
Lewis's role, and that of the UMWA, is to
see that the policy of the operators is carried
thru without the miners offering any resist
ence to these policies. When spontaneous
strikes occur because of grievances, the UNI
WA rushes to order the miners back to work
on the ground that "You can't violate the
agreement" While it is alright for the coal
companies to violate the agreement, it becomes
a crime according to the UMWA for the miners
to fight for their rights and interests The
UMWA betrays the miners daily, and are pre-
pairing one of the Blacklist betrayals this Fall
when the agreement expires on August 31st
The UMWA under John L. Lewiss mis-
leadership have steadily sold out the miners
In 1922, Lewis saw to it that the soft-coal
miners were separated from the anthracite
miners by signing two different agreements.
At the same time, Lewis left 100000 miners
in the coke regions in the urch In 1924
Lewis expelled 10000 miners from the UMWA
in the anthracite because they dared to fight
against intolerable conditions in the Pennsy
mines. In 1886, Lewis and the UMWA
worked hand in hand with the operators during
the course of the strike in the anthracite, while
the rank and file was fighting bravely and
starving. He then signed the infamous 5-year
sellout. In 1927, Lewis and the UMWA be-
trayed the soft-coal miners in Penn Ohio-Ind
etc., and destroyed the conditions of the Jack
sonville agreement by his policies.
The UMWA is actually destroyed in the soft
coal field. From a membership of over $50,
600 miners, the UMWA has dwindled down to
skeleton of it's former self, and hasn't got
more than 12500O in its ranks. The bulk of
these are to be found in the anthracite.
The reactionary, fascist officialdom will go
the full length in accepting anything and