The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-11
BY BILL GERERT

BY BILL GEBERT
nm April the contract between the UWHGA and
" the coal operators expired The coal operat-
0rS closed down the mines In an attempt to force
wage cuts on the miners, The offcialdom Of the
UNdWA, both factions. Walker and Lewis, in
cooperation with Edmundson, and others, are
not doing anything to turn this lockout into
strike. On the contrary, they welcome this situa-
ton The union bureaucrats, under the district
convention in Springfield, went on record for the
six-hour day, five-day week. and for 80 Ia
per cent increase Of the prevailing scale, 500
day to 81 day.
These demands were formulated for the pur-
pose Of misleading the miners. The Walker,
Lewis and Edmundson factions had not the
slightest desire to fight for the demands they
adopted Its aim was for fooling the miners It
showed" that the bureaucrats are Every" revolu-
uonary-they placed high demands and there
fore the miners put their hope and faith in the
union bureaucrats and everything will be hotsy-
totSy.
That this is the policy OF the union bureau
Gratis is clearly indicated by the fact that no
preparations were made to organize and develop
strike Nor have any demands been formulated
for the unemployed and part time miners, and
without this. there can be no struggle waged
against the coal operators. The officials Of the
UMWA know this very well
At the same time at the convention they adopt
ed resolution which states as follows: "In the
event that the Scale Committee is unable to
secure the full demands adopted by the Con-
vention, they are authorized to make the best
agreement possible. it being understood that any
agreement so initiated shall be made only as a
tentative agreement and shall not be accepted
until 1t receives the full vote OF. the member
ship" Thus 1t is amended to the Scale Commit
tee, composed OF bureaucrats, to accept wage cuts
and to railroad them through.
The coal operators, at a conference in Chicago,
proposed as basis for the acceptance of the new
contract union day wage scale" as accepted
by the UMWA in northern West Virginia which
is $40 day and a. Ia cents ton. The coal
operators showed that the union wage scale of
the UMWA in northern West Virginia is $2.4O a
day and that the same to be endorsed in the
Illinois coal fields. At the present time, the ILL
nois union proposes 81 wage scale. With the
lockout they attempt to force the miners into
submission, and in some of the mines, for in
stance in Dowen, Illinois, the coal operators def
nitely propose wage cut to the miners. Others
are carrying on propag anda for wage cut by
the coal companies, opening mines temporarily
at the present scale.
All these are indications that the coal oper-
atorS with the support of the bureaucrats, are
preparing wage cut. In this situation, the main
task OF the Illinois coal miners is to defeat the
wage cuts, and to achieve its aim 1t is necessary
first OF all to carry on most merciless struggle
against the union bureaucratS, Walker Lewis
Edmundson factions and to rally the miners
around the slogan-Defeat the Wage Cuts, and
Immediate Relief for the Unemployed Miners,
and organize them into strike committees, in
every mine, local UN1WA and rank and file COM
nlittees to be set up to take up campaign to
take the leadership Of the miners in the hands
of the representatives of the miners themselves
organizing movement on Sub-district and dig
trict scale in opposition to the bureaucrats Of the
UMWA. This, at the present time, IS the main
task
To carry out this task the miners should or
ganize mass meetings, pass resolutions to defeat
the wage cuts and organize strikes, and the pres
ent lockout must be turned into strike in every
Illinois mine and defeat the attempt of the coal
operators to split the miners Of Illinois by agree
ments OF individual companies and mines, fight
ing for state agreement
The victory for the miners can be achieved
only under the leadership of the rank and file
committees in the UNfWA for the purpose OF
defeating the aims OF the coal operators, stated
in a pamphlet, widely distributed among the min
ers, called "An Appeal TO Reason. "the only re-
manning chance is to reduce the wages received
in order that the company can sell to the con-
suniers at cheaper prices"
Thus, the miners have no other choice than TO
fight against wage cuts, which means g fight
against starvation. At the present time more
than 5000 miners in Illinois are unemployed