The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-25
A L. M. WA. Convention

THE officials of the Lewis machine that
L controls the United Mine Workers of
America are moving with all their usual
trickery in their preparations for the COM
ing Pittsburgh District Convention, to be
held early in May.
The announcements are sent out late
the men in the locals are being canvassed
with the same tricks that packed the national con-
vention with Lewis henchmen.
The reason for this is not far to seek The
new agreement" that Lewis and the coal opera
tors have handed down to the miners has made
their conditions, if anything, worse than before.
The capitalist press Of Pittsburgh halls this
agreement giving the men "a per cent in
crease in pay. This is deliberate deception
Whatever slight increase is provided for ap-
plies only to miner in ten. The machine men
and the leaders, constituting 80 per cent of the
miners, get their wages cut by the agreement
Under the agreement these miners get paid ac-
cording to the size of the slate. Places that have
one foot of slate get Sc cents a ton others will
get So cents. In addition, the operators will deduct
for the drilling of holes. All this means that the
pay envelopes will shrink since the agreement gives
each of these miners one hour less work than be-
fore.
On top of all this, the new agreement pro-
vides that all rents, powder, house coal etc. ETC.,
will cost the miners 10 per cent more, thus guar
anteeing real slash in wages for a large ma ority
of the mners
THE men wanted Sc day scale with 6-hour
day and 5-day week. with full proportional
increases for all the leaders and machine men,
This demand they had placed in thousands of reso-
lutions sent to the recent national UMW.A con-
vention. This is what the miners demanded of
their officials.
But the officials trampled these wishes, and
worked out this agreement to cut the wages
of the miners. 1t is no wonder that the officials
are still keeping the agreement secret from a
large part of the miners. In many places the
miners, even on top of false rumors that they were
getting 65 cents an hour, struck for the re-
moval of their many grievances, for the abolition
of the penalty clause, for pay for dead work AS
the miners know what the new agreement gives
them, they will strike again!
The fight for real strike against the coal
operators for real improvement in miners con-
ditions must be begun at the coming U.MwA con-
vention
AT the coming convention in May, the rank and
file miners will get chance to fight the oficiaIdom
of the U.MW.A., who do nothing but protect the
interests of the coal operators
Every local must send its best fighters to the
convention. Under no conditions must local pass
up the chance to send its own delegates. Boycott
of the convention only helps the Lewis crowd.
Fighting resolutions must be passed in the locals
against the new agreement and carried by the dele
gates to the convention.
The miners will and must put forward their
demands of the Sc day and the 6-hour day and
5-day week, with the proportional pay for
the leaders and machine men. Together with this
must go the demands for dead work, adjustment
Of the penalty clause, against the MIRA. boards
and against forced arbitration against discrimna-
ton of the Negro and young miners, etc.
To carry this out must go the election of good
honest rank and file miners as delegates to the
coming convention There is not a moment to
spare. The rank and file miners must get busy.
For fight for the s6 day, s-hour day and
5-day week,