The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-09-24
MINERS UNION SETS forth ITS
DEMANDS AND EXPLAINS POSITION

Editors Note Negotiations pend
ing between the Miners Union o
Butte and the ACM Company, are O.
state With company control of near
ly all of the daily press it is obvious
that the truth will be distorted by
these papers in their presentations
of the issues. Because Secretary Joe
Mason of the Butte Miners Union in
his radio address, presented the issues
dispassionately and fully, we print his
address in full for the information OF
the readers of The Voice.
| am grateful for this opportunity
accorded me by the stations of the
Z-Bar network to address the Mon
tana radio audience on issues of di-
rect interest to the people of this
state
The changes proposed by my union
for better agreement with the com.
pany are based not alone on the i'm
perative needs and legitimate griev-
ances of the workers; they are also
based on a moderate but realistic esti-
mate of the company's ability to grant
these demands. The benefits to be
gained thereby will not only contrib
ute to the well-being of the actual
producers of copper, but will also af-
feet directly and most favorably the
prosperity and welfare of the entire
community.
Unfortunately, we miners do not
have access to the columns of the
daily press for the presentation of
our views This press is controlled
by powerful corporation group
whose policy of censorship and news
distortion has become so brazen that
Senator Murray of Montana recently
urged a senatorial investigation of
what he terms newspaper Hitlerism"
in Montana This newspaper Hitler
ISM is now aimed at discrediting the
reasonable and valid claims of seven
who together with the Kalispell min
ers and the smeltermen of Anaconda
and Great Falls, are now negotiating
with the Anaconda Copper Mining
company for increased wages and i'm
proved working conditions. These
negotiations directly affect eleven
thousand members of the Internation-
al Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers, and approximately forty
thousand of their dependents; there
fore l hold it to be extremely urgent
that the issues under consideration
oh he 1of, aA1 fo,, srrl,t tn, ct,
true light.
For the sake of the record, | will
list the unions proposals. The gen
eral demands presented by the joint
negotiating committee of all the I'M
ions are as follows:
First: $100 per day flat raise in
wages for all classifications, with
abolition of the sliding scale, time and
one-half for all Sunday work and 40
cents per day over and above the reg
ular scale for all men working shifts |
between the hours of 3 p. m. and 8
a. m.
Second: Two weeks vacation with
pay annually for all employees work
ing one year or more for the company. |
Third: Check off system
Fourth: Recognition of the right |
of employees to mutual satisfactory
hospital contract and the establish
ment of a contract which shall cover
both single and married employees and
their families.
Fifth: Full recognition and contrac-
tual relations with Engineers Local
No. 49,
In addition to these general pro-
posals, the demands of the Butte min
ers include abolition of the so-called
contract system and wage differen-
tails for certain classifications of !
work