Evening star., 1941-04-29
Mines Resume
Coal Production
Early Thursday
Opening Is Delayed
One Doy to Fit In
With Pay Roll Week
BACKGROUND

WIN roy NOli week
BACKGROUND
Northern Appalachian soft coal
operators agreed to United Mine
Workers demands for S7-d-day
1Gdge, but Southern operators
boIted conference rather than re-
linquiSh 1Udge dtferentidl, Which
they claimed necessary because
OF diSddUdntdgeouS freight rates.
Meanwhile, 1000 miners hare
been idle since April and de-
tense industries houe been more
and more crippled tor lack Of
coal. Defense Mediation Board
tailed to end dispute after three
days OF meetings.
BY the Associated Press.
The United Mine Workers Union
announced today that soft coal pro-
duction would be resumed Thursday
morning in the Nations bituminous
fields, shut down since April l in
a dispute over a new wage contract.
The announcement was made by
John l.. Lewis after he had discussed
with his district presidents in the
Appalachian coal area the decision
of Southern producers last night to
accept President Roosevelt s proposal
TO reopen the mines.
The union said it had received the
notice from l. Ebersole Gaines,
chairman of the Southern producers
group, that the latter was willing
TO negotiate a new tWo-year agree
ment with the miners union TO be
made retroactive to the date of re-
sumption of coal production.
Wage Boost Unexpected.
The Southern operators unex-
pectedly agreed to s1-a-day wage
boost pending the final contract
settlement.
Union officials said the reopening
Thursday instead of Wednesday be-
cause Thursday is the beginning Of
pay roll period in the mines. II
production started Wednesday, they
said, it would mean that the opera
tors would have to make up a pay
roll for one day instead of a full
pay period.
A union official said no decision
had been made on the resumption
Of work in the so-called captive
mines. This is expected to be taken
up by the Unions Policy COMMITTEES
later today.
Captive mines for the most part
are owned by steel companies and
their output is consumed entirely
by the owner corporation.
The end of the month-old dead
lock was buoyant news TO worried
defense officials, for it promised
speedy replenishment of the dwin-
ding fuel supplies which threatened
to cause major curtailment of arms
production in vital defense plants.
The soft coal mines in the eight
State Appalachian area and outly-
ing districts produce approximately
IL 100000 tons a week.
Early Announces Acceptance.
The break in the coal wage con-
troversy came late last night, when
Presidential Secretary Stephen Early
announced that the Southern opera
tors had accepted proposal
by the President to reopen a
wage agreement with the U. NJ.
W. on a retroactive basis to the
date of resumption.
The decision of the Southern
E1
BOOST into effect at once-raising
the Southern late from $3.50 to
S6.60-provided q surprise to most
of the mine union officials since
the President had not asked for
any wage change in his back-to-
work proposal week ago.
The decision of the Southern
operators was reached after a night
conference which followed a visit
with Secretary of Commerce Jones
and a Senate Committee INQUIRY
into the cause Of the mine shutdown.
AS one operator explained it. the
commerce chief told the Southern
producers bluntly that something
has to be done and done quickly"
Northern Mines Were Ready.
The Northern producers and the
U. M. w, already in agreement on
new $7-a-day wage scale, had
announced their readiness a week
ago to accept the Presidents re-
opening plan, which provided that
the Northern mines reopen on the
basis of the agreement already
worked out.
The Southerners' decision to re-
open the mines and send soms
100000 coal diggers back was made
known in the following message
to Mr.. Roosevelt from Mr.. Gaines:
The undersigned representing the
13 Southern (coaD districts which
have not yet negotiated a wage
agreement accept your proposal
without eQuivocation. We are
ready to resume work immediately"
The President replied in a mes
sage tc Mr.. Gaines:
L am very happy to receive your
telegram Of acceptance and copy Of
a letter to Secretary Jones that you
will pay 81 day additional. 1 sim
cereIy nope IN the interest of NJ
mediate continuation of national de-
fense production that the mines can
be reopened at the earliest practical
hour"
Letter Told of Pay Boost.
A separate letter to Mr.. Jones from
the operators contained the an
nouncement that the Southern basic
rate would be hiked 81 day and
that relative increases would be
made in piece work.
There was no immediate comment
from Mr.. Lewis. but his associates
pointed out that u M. w. had al
ready gone on record with an ac-
ceptance of the White House pro-
poSal.
Southern operators explained that
they voted to put the 81 a day wage
boost into effect Immediately by say
ing that it would reduce their con-
tingent liability if and when further
negotiations with the union should
result in higher wage rate and thus
IL l.