Imperial Valley press., 1932-04-01
MINERS
LOCKOUT
GENERAL
Thousands Idle In Coal
Fields Following Wage
Disputes.
STRIKES CALLED
Operators Close Shafts
When Agreement Is Not
Possible.

CHICAGO, April l. U.P) = The
first day of April, for members of
the United Mine Workers of Am
erica legal holiday brought little
celebration to the coal regions of
the West Virginia panhandle, Ill
inois, Ohio and Indiana.
More than $1,000 workers in these
fields today faced unemployment
due to wage disputes between union
members and mine operators.
The greatest crisis occurred In
Illinois where IA mines were order
ed closed and more than 41,OO0
miners made jobless when union
leaders and officials of the opera
tors association failed to agree af-
ter four weeks of negotiation.
The three and half year con-
tract between operators and the
union calling for basic wage of
S6.10 per day expired at midnight
last night and operators ordered the
shutdown.
A strike affecting about $4,000
men in Ohio and the West Virginia
panhandle was called to start to-
day. The workers called a mass
meeting at Bellaire, Ohio.
At Terre Haute, Ind, mine op-
orators officials announced mines
in district seven would probably re-
open tomorrow with non-union la
| bor, throwing out of work some 1000
union laborers. There, as in Chi
cago, the operators request for a
basic wage of less than the $6.l0
was refused by the union.
Operators Balk
District eight operators and min
ers after parley at Brazil, Ind,
decided to continue at the present
rate, maintaing employment in the
Brazil block mines. -.~~ -
Illinois and Indiaiia operators
have rebelled against paying rate
which, trey claimed, was more than
twice that of competing fields. Out
side companies have been able to
market coal in these two states
cheaper than local fields could pro-
duce it, operators claimed.
John H. Walker, president of the
Illinois district United Mine Work
ers of America, said the sub-com-
mittee consisting of two union rep
resentatives and two operators
would continue to attempt to reach
wage agreement.
Joseph D. Zook. president of the
Illinois Coal Operators association,
announced the shutdown but indi-
Gated members of his organization
would not attempt to employ nom
union labor.
The operators proposed a basic
wage of between $3.50 and $4.00 per
day, they said, would be 10 per cent
more than the average day wage of
workers in competitive fields, both
union and non-union.
During February, Zook said,
40998 men were employed in lat
mines. Fourteen Of these mines
were strip mines. The total pro-
duction for the month was ap-
proximately 100000 tons.
BY lower wage, the Illinois op-
orators hoped to compete with the
underselling eastern fields. ana
claimed that the entire member
! ship of the Illinois district "
United Mine workers which totals
about $4,000 would be employed
this year. Last year about $4,000
men were employed in ITO mines.
During 1923, 100000 workers were
employed in 371 mines.
The Indiana situation was very
similar to that in Illinois. Opera
tors claimed that because of the
high labor cost, production and
sales were curtailed.
The operators officials said un-
less an agreement was reached in
the final meeting today, the mines
would reopen with non-union
| labor.
Indiana union officials predicted
an immediate crisis would result
in the Indiana fields If the miners
accepted the reduction of about
so per cent.