The daily worker., 1930-04-30
Draft Program of N. M. u. for
the Anthracite

The 5-Year Agreement is coming to an end.
The hard-coal miners now face the problem of
working out new agreement with the coal
operators. Every rank ard file miner must
give some thought and consideration to the
events of the past years, examine carefully
what has taken place during the course of the
5 Yr Agreement that was signed by Lewis and
his henchmen after the bitter 6 months strike
of 1925-26.
Lewis and the Company Union, fascist U. M.
W. A. hailed the sellout called the Yr. Agree
ment as great victory" for the miners. 1t
was a victory-but not for the rank and file.
1t was great victory for the coal companies.
During the life of the 5 Yr. Agreement, the
operators have realized great profits. The
miners have realized-wage cuts speedup, un-
employment increased accidents, heightened
hours, general worsened conditions, and a
smashing of the Union.
Conditions in the Anthracite Fields
What are the conditions in the hard-coal
fields at the present time? Are the wages
earned by the miners the same that they were
and years ago? Absolutely not. Every
miner knows that whole series of systematic
wage cuts were put across by the coal COM
panies Every miner knows that his wages
have been considerably reduced Very few
miners are today being paid for dead work.
The rates per car loaded have been reduced in
most instances by about so per cent. Tonnage
rates have been decreased Yardage prices
have been cut, and in many mines, the yard
age basis has been abolished Consideration
time is practically non-existent at the present
time. The miners must now pay for their
tools, must buy their own jack-hammer and
drills, must pay for the compress-air for the
iack. hammerS Minors GRO haipp dockod for
dirty coal.
In the report of the Secretary of the In
terror of the state of Pa, Mr. Woodward,
(Nov. 22nd 1929) it is seen that for the year
1928, anthracite miners had received total
of $239, 9,555, 100 in wages. For the year 1927,
hard-coa miners had earned $255, ,853,100 in
wages. This means that there was drop of
S16,298, 900 in the wages of the miners in one
year. No doubt the drop for 1929 was even
more than in 1923.
The hard-coal miners are being speeded up
more and more. The brutal speedup system
is daily sapping up the life and energy of the
miners. The coal operators are increasing pro-
duction of anthracite coal at the expense of the
life, limb, and health of the miners. Miners
are told that they must produce 5 cars day
instead of as previously produced-for the
same price lease of the w. Ridge Coll. of the
Scranton Coal Coy. The output of hard-coal
for 1929 was near the average for the 10-year
period, nevertheless it was produced with Is
per cent less working-time. This means that
the miners were speeded up so much the faster.
At the same time as resdlt of the brutal
speedup, and failure to install safety devises,
accidents in tho r'ires have increased consider
ably in the last period.
The introduction of new machinery in the
Mines the loading machines, under cutting de-
vises, conveyors, etc., means throwing thou.
sands of miners out Of jobs permanently Un-
employment and part n employment are rapid
ly on the increase th~orohout the anthracite.
Some collieries have been and are closed down
for and 3 months Most miners are lucky
if they put in days week work. This means
terrible suffe ing for the miners and their FAM
lilies. Dsern'oyment, and part time worl;
means that tie miner cannot pay his rent
or bills. cannont feed and clothe his wife and