The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-26
RUSH COAL
CODE; FEAR
new STRIKE
KY. Miners in Bell
and Harlan Counties
Strike
LEWIS AIDS OPERATORS
Meets Them in Secret
Code Conferences

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-Feverish
efforts are being made by Roosevelt
from his summer resort in Hyde
Park, and John L. Lewis, working
with the coal operators to rush
through coal code in order to stem
the rising tide of strikes.
For two days officials of the
UMWA have been meeting with the
scab coal operators, offering their
services as the most efficient strike
breakers.
In the midst of these hearings. re-
ports came from the Harlan and
Bell County coal fields, that all
mines are shut down by strike. The
miners who struck in 1881 under the
leadership of the National Miners
Union are again out against the coal
operators in Bloody Harlan. Strikes
are breaking out in Virginia and
Pennsylvania.
Roosevelt in a message to General
Johnson, presiding over the coal
hearings from which the miners
themselves are excluded, has set
Tuesday as the final date for adopt
ing coal code. The reason for this
action is to prevent the miners from
spreading their strike.
Lewis has called in from the field
his leading lieutenants to work out
new strike breaking tactics in the
present difficult situation. Most
prominent in the closed conferences
with the Southern, Pennsylvania,
and other coal operators are John L.
Lewis, president of the UMWA, Phil
ip Morris, vice president, Thomas
Kennedy, secretary treasurer, and
Van A Bittner organizer for the West
Virginia field.
Realizing that the coal miners are
determined on strike to win higher
wages and improved conditions, as
well as recognition of their unions,
the scab operators called the UMWA
officials in to work out new strike
breaking strategy. The miners are
not waiting for the codes. Further
more, the operators know that when
the codes are published, revolt in the
coal fields will flare up much sharp
er even than at present.
Hence for the first time in the
history of the coal fields, operators
who never before found it necessary
to call on Lewis are sticking their
feet under a conference table with
all of the UMWA officials. All have
the same interests, to keep the min
ers from striking.
Among the operators are those OF
the South and West Virginia fields,
from Logan, Mingo and mcdowell
counties; representatives Of the Me-
lon and Morgan mines; Kentucky
and Tennessee operators.
Their are 90 separate codes being
discussed. Efforts are being made to
hammer them into one code, giving
all the operators leeway to suit
themselves on wages.
One of the big points was union
recognition. Most of the operators
are against recognizing unions. But
with the strikes coming on, they feel
they can allay a sharper fight II
they go through the pretenses OF
working with John L. Lewis a. Co. as
representatives of the UMWA.
According to information here,
there will be no fixed rates, but scale
committees for the different fields
will be set up to work out wages
and hours. The operators are insist
ing on an eight hour day with the
present starvation wages written into
the code.
There will be more secret confer
ences between the UMWA officials
and the coal operators. Two have al
ready been held, but the miners are
not told a word Of what happened.
After the last conferences, General
johnson issued a statement saying
that great progress is being made,
and that the coal operators are hap
by over the results. He said a CODE
would soon be signed.