Montana labor news., 1939-05-18
COAL LOCKOUT ENDS
rs OPERATORS GRANT
UNION SHOP
BY MARC STONE

| NEW 4ORk.-(FP)-Ihe 4o-day
coal lockout came to an abrupt and
dramatic end here May lS when the
United Mine Workers (CIO) emerged
from its bitter fight with Appala-
chian soft coal operators bearing the
greatest prize in its 50-year history
"a union shop agreement.
The UNIV won a 80 per cent vic
tory on the single issue which for
more than nine weeks deadlocked
the negotiations and brought the
country near a fuel famine. At the
same time the union closed its ranks
against possible attack by the Pro-
gressive Mine Workers (AFL) and
anti-labor interests which hoped to
cripple the UNIV and Pres. John L.
Lewis.
Six associations of operators en-
ploying about 10000 men in Virginia,
West Virginia and Tennessee refused
to sign the final pact, which other
wise covered an estimated 100000
miners in the Appalachian area An
other 10000 in scattered states out
side the Appalachian had already
signed. Two of the six were report
ed to have Immediately told the
union they would sign in few days,
The small group of diehard opera
tors who fought the union shop to
the last were finally forced to drop
out of the joint Appalachian wage
conference in order to make way
for the agreement.
The first break came at 2 a. m.
on May 1.-two hours after the
deadline set by Pres. Roosevelt
when after IA hours of continuous
negotiations w. L. Robson, an
operator and chairman of the joint
committee, offered to reopen the
mines while negotiations continued
on the union shop issue This time
the union refused the offer, which
the operators themselves had turned
down when offered by the UNIV
March 81, upon expiration of the old
pact
Forty-five minutes later DR.. John
R. Steelman, U. S. conciliator who
had been desperately working to
bring the two groups together, an
nounced to tired and sleepy report
ers that the UNIV had been instruct
ed to sign individual contracts with
operators and small employer asso-
Citations who were anxious to resume
work under the unions terms.
The UNIV agreed but at the re-
quest Of the Appalachian group with
held action in the Appalachian area
in the hope of getting a blanket
agreement. Meanwhile the union
telegraphed all soft coal areas out
side the Appalachian, instructing
district representatives to go ahead
with Individual pacts. By May 13
thousands of miners were already
on their way back to the pits.
The new pact besides retaining
provisions of the old agreement, has
the following clause:
"It is agreed that the UNIV is
recognized herein as the exclusive
bargaining agency representing the
employees Of the parties of the first
part. 1t is agreed that as a condi-
ton of employment all employees
shall be members of the UNIV ex-
cept in those exempted classifica-
tions of employment as provided in
the contract" The exemption covers
an estimated IL per cent who are
engaged in supervisory work
The union shop as written into
the pact differs from the closed shop,
which the operators raised as a
bogey to confuse the issue, in that
it allows the employer to hire whom
he pleases. The new worker, how
ever, must join the union within a
specified time.
Wage and hour provisions carried
over from the old agreements call
for a 35-hour week and So daily
minimum in the north and $3.50 in
the south.
The lockout began April 1. The
UNIV charged that outside interests
were intervening to block the agree
ment which the majority of opera
tors desired. There were rumors
that the AFL was exerting its influ-
ence to prevent an agreement, claim
ing that the PMW had a majority Of
miners in many localities.
A new anthracite contract is now
being negotiated to replace one
which expired April 30. Anthracite
miners are working under the terms
of the old contract.
The UNIV committee of -four
which negotiated the bituminous
agreement consisted of Lewis, Sec
Thomas Kennedy, Vice Pres. Philip