Evening star., 1941-11-16
Labor Officials Move to Call Out
Coal Miners Throughout Industry
oForceUnionShopinCaptive
DeudIine Passes:
President Confers
With Stimson
Dy the Associated Press.

A spreading work stoppage
throughout the soft coal indus
try to reinforce the United Mine
Workers demand for a union
shop in the captive pits appeared
imminent today as a midnight
strike deadline passed with the
operators and the union still
deadlocked.
With the dispute still un-
broken, President Roosevelt con-
ferred with Secretary of War
Stimson and Army officers. ap-
parently mapping a course OF
governmental action. The Presi-
dent has voiced determination
that the captive mines, supply
ing fuel for vital defense forges,
must operate.
A few hours jim advance of the
deadline, which John L. Lewis set
and stuck to-for expiration of the
truce in the captive mine strike, a
union lieutenant served notice on
the Illinois operators that 'it may
become necessary momentarlly" to
call out all the miners in that State
The Illinois operators signed
contract lining up with the Ap-
palachian agreement only October
q. Mr.. Lewis. as president of the
C. I. o. United Mine Workers Union.
previously had warned the COM
mercial operators under the eight
State Appalachian agreement with
major producers that work might
be stopped in the commercial mines
il the captive mines held out against
the union shop provision embodied
in the Appalachian contract.
Viewed as Last Step.
Thus the notification to the Illinois
operators, served by Ray Edmund
son, State miners head, was viewed
as the last step to solidify the
miners ranks for the gigantic blow
or bluff-of a complete coal min
ing shutdown.
Meanwhile, representatives of the
union and the steel companies.
which own the captive mines, will
make a last-minute stab at reach
ing an agreement with another con-
ference at II am. today
About 10000 miners are covered by
the Illinois agreement. However,
1t is fundamentally the same as the
Appalachian agreement which COW
ers about $50, 900 commercial miners.
And the implication was plain that
the U. NJ w. must regard both in
the same light.
These agreements include clauses
telling the operators that the U. M.
w. will not make contract giving
other operators more advantageous
terms
Provide for Union Shop.
Since these contracts provide for
the union shop, the U. NJ W. con-
tend that they would be violated if
other operators we're given an open
shop" contract.
At United Mine Workers head
quarters. officials said Mr.. Edmund
sons action was in line with the
policy established by Mr.. Lewis last
September l6 when he notified all
signatories to the Appalachian
agreement that the captive mine
dispute "imperils the integrity" of
their wage agreement.
The United Mine Workers hope
that it will not be necessary to
bring the commercial production of
the Appalachian area into the cap
tive mine controversy but are pre-
serving all rights to do so when
necessary to preserve the integrity
Of the contract" Mr.. Lewis notice
said.
This letter constitutes formal
notice of the right of the United
Mine Workers to invoke at will the
protective wage clause of the joint
agreement"
No Agreement on Further Work.
The decision of the U. M. w. Policy
Committee not to recall orders for
a strike at midnight in the captive"
mines was on the grounds that there
was no agreement covering further
work.
I'VE have no contract after mid
night" Mr.. Lewis said.
"Therell be no coal mined Mon
day unless an agreement of some
kind is reached Sunday" another
member of the Policy Committee
said. I'VE don't need to issue a
strike call. Our men can't work
after the contract expires"
Mr.. Lewis reported to the Policy
(See COAL, Page A-5D