Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-27
General Strike
0fSoftCoa|
Miners Feared
WLB Asks Leaders
To Keep Pits Open;
$4,000 Walk Out

To Keep Pits Open;
$4,000 Walk Out
Spreading work stoppages in
the soft coal fields, which al
ready have thrown more than
$4,000 miners into idleness in
the Pittsburgh, Harlan (Ky.)
and Birmingham areas alone,
accented the threat of a Nation
wide tie-up by the end of the
week.
While district leaders of the
United Mine Workers gathered in
New York for Policy Committee
meeting with UNIV President John
L. Lewis, which may see a definite
announcement of the miners
course, the War Labor Board made
its first appeal to union leadership
to keep the workers on the job so
the war effort may not suffer.
Although UNIV spokesman said
no strikes had been authorized, they
pointed out that Mr.. Lewis has not
forbidden them. 1t was added that
hundreds of kilograms were arriving
at union headquarters, urging the
negotiators to stand firm in their
contract demands and informing
them that the miners were ready to
go out at moments notice.
Ohio Strike Threatened.
At Columbus, Ohio, John Owens,
president of the UMWs District 6
said Ohio coal miners would strike
Saturday unless coal operators
sign new contract with the United
Mine Workers.
He told banquet last night
miners did not wish to stop digging
coal, 'but I say if there is not a
contract between operators and the
union by Friday there won't be any
coal miners going into coal mines
Saturday."
There are about $4,000 union
members in District 6, which in
cludes Ohio and part of West Vir-
ginia.
Many Are Captive Mines.
Many of the Pittsburgh and Biz
mlngham operations are captive
mines whose total output is used by
the steel companies that own them
commercial mines in PENNSYLVANIA
and Alabama, however. were hit
by walkouts and 1000 Southeastern
Kentucky coal miners quit work
while elsewhere in the State those
who continued work were described
by both operators and union leaders
as restless"
Leaders CT union locals frankly
said the miners were upset over the
problem of remaining loyal to the
United Mine Workers, which is seek
ing wage increase, and yet keep
supplying coal needed to support the
armies in which many of their
relatives are serving.
1t simmered down to choosing be-
tween John L. Lewis, UNIV presi-
dent, and President Roosevelt, who
has asked labor to stick by it's no.
strike pledge.
Discrimination Charged.
Typical of this view was the COM
ment of Harry Wadsworth, forme,
president of local at closed Jones
& Laughlin Steel Co. mine:
'It's not very nice to shut down
a mine at this time, but at the same
time it's not very nice to work fol-
nothing.
During the last war they paid
high wages to every class of labor
except the miners. In this wal
every one got raise except the
miners, and when it came down tt
them, wages were frozen.
"The miners can't get anything
by staying in the mines, but they
may get something by going out"
Bituminous operators in Alabama
Illinois and Indiana have received
notice that the miners will not work
after midnight Friday. These dc
not come under the Appalachian
agreement now in dispute before the
WLB, but this dispute is the key to
the situation generally.
The WLB announced that a panel
which is to begin consideration of
the issues tomorrow will be headed
by Morris Llewellyn Cooke, Phila-
delphia engineer who was the first
administrator of the Rural Electro
fication Program. as the public's
representative, Mr.. Cooke is the
panel chairman.
Representing labor is David B.
Robertson, president of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen. The employer repre-
sentative is Walter White, assistant
to the chairman of the business
advisory council of the Commerce
Department.
Labor Choice Left to WLB.
The WLB invited Mr.. Lewis to
submit several names as nominees
for the labor representative, but
this the UNIV president failed to
do, leaving the choice entirely up
to the board.
The WLB's initial telegram to Mr.
Lewis, Secretary-treasurer Thomas
Kennedy and presidents of the
Pennsylvania districts where stop
pages have occurred, appealed to
the workers patriotism. It made
no reference to the boards policy
OF suspending consideration of the
(See MINERS, Page A-6.)
z Executed for Sabotage
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