The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-10-21
Miners ASKED TO
sign YELLOW Dog
CONTRACT IS Claim
Arntson Says Burlington Work.
srs Are Anxious to Resume
Work Under Union Conditions

Returning from a personal il1ves-
tigation Of trouble between miners
and operators in the Burlington field
near Mtnot, Roy q. Arntson. deputy
commissioner Of agriculture and la
boe, declared miners there are ready
and anxious to return to work ex-
oep. tl.at they refuse to sign yell
Low dog contracts with the opera
tors that deprive them OF any oppor.
tuhity for collective bargaining"
Arntson claimed that published re-
ports Of the mine trouble have not
told the whole story"
he said the miners in the Burling-
ton field ARE not now. nor have
they been on strike at any time"
but were locked out by the opera
tors, indicating prc-arrangcment
between Them
On the office door Of one Of the
principal mines, he said, the follow
Ing notice appears: Miners will
bring their tools to the surface, clean
up their, coal and call at the office
for settlement" Several operators
said they were closing their mines
for repairs. Arntson said.
yellow Dog Contract
At the same time. according TO the
deputy commissioner, miners were
handed copy Of yellow dog" con-
tract to sign, and were told they
could return to work when they ten
dered the contract over their sigma
ture.
The contract. Arntson said. was
worded so as to prevent any oppor-
tunity for collective bargaining by
the men and the contracts were re-
turned for the, reason that the coal
code offered by the operators gives
them the right to bargain collcc-
lively"
Guards patrolled the mines and
roads, Arntson reported, giving the
impression that the miners were
threatening violence"
Arntson declared that at confer
ence Tuesday night between opera
tors and miners, all matters were
agreed to except that operators in
sisted on signing Of the so-called
yellow dog" contracts and the men
refused. Operators, he added. were
not in agreement among themselves.
1T was definitely shown" Arntson
said. that large operators who had
been instrumental IN forming the
North Dakota Coal Code association,
had been 'chiseling' on the rest of
the members
Claims Prior Dating
ga AS,a 1eod 1%oo,N faEa,s nf TIM
date for the coal code to 60 into ef-
feet. orders had been taken for coal
at a price 80 cents or more per ton
under the coal code price and these
orders had been given a prior dat
Ing and were for future delivery
Miners representatives protested
against the operators refusal to dc
business with organizations of the
mems own choosing "as guaranteed
to them under the NRA," Arntsor
said.
He added that he has affidavits
on file to the effect that operators
IN all parts Of the state have set up
and incorporated company unions.
and are forcing miners by 'intimida-
ton or coercion to leave their own
organization and join.
Union officials also have COM
planned, Arntson said, that reference
In the newspapers to these organiza-
lions as unions have been mis-
leading.
"As the matter now stands at the
Burlington and elsewhere In the
state" Arntson declared, operators
have organized into an organization
of their own choosing, adopted a coal
code, fixed the price Of coal and then
are refusing the same privileges t6
their employees that are extended to
them"