Evening star., 1943-04-08
Coal Par|ey Resumes
As ConciIiator Hints
Action on Deadlock
Southern Owners Reody
To Submit Wage Row
To War Labor Bourd
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 8.-Dr. John
r. Steelman. head OF the United
States Cancellation Service, who has
been active in contract negotiations
between Appalachian soft coal mine
operators and the United Mine
Workers, announced that Northern
and Southern district operators and
the UNIV would meet in q joint
conference at 2:30 pm. today.
His announcement followed
statement by former Senator Ed
ward r. Burke, president of the
Southern district operators group,
that his organization would submit
the contract dispute to the War
Labor Board at noon unless DR..
Steelman indicated he would GER
tify the case himself to the WLB.
The noon hour passed without an
nouncement that any such action
had been taken.
Management negotiators and the
UNIV remained deadlocked on union
contract demands which would af-
feet 100000 bituminous coal miners
inthe Appalachian fields as DR..
Steelman made his announcement.
Said DR.. Steelman: There may
be important developments this aft
ernoon."
The union has demanded a $2-a-
day basic wage boost, an day
blanket minimum, unionization of
$4,000 minor bosses and pay for all
time spent in the mines, including
travel time. The operators have
contended that the miners wage in
crease demands are non-negotiable
because they run counter to the
WLB Little Steel' formula holding
wage boosts to Is per cent above
wages OF January 1, 1941.
Reluctant to Act.
Asked if he planned to certify the
wage dispute to the WLB, DR.. Steel
man replied yesterday:
AT the risk of personal criticism,
would be reluctant to make a rec
ommendation at this time which
might lead to unfortunate COM
plications
This was Interpreted as meaning
that termination of negotiations by
Intervention of the WLB might be
construed by the United Mine
| Workers as violation of the agree
ment providing 30-day extension
OF the present contract under which
the conferences have been held.
| Tho avfarcinr ,.oo Nh - 4
before the contract expired March
81 averted the threat of a work
stoppage.
John L. Lewis, UNIV head, de-
scribed the Northerners' proposal
as IAN arrogant and contemptuous
gesture on the part of these opulent
coal operators" and IAN affront to
the intelligence of UNIV negotiators.
with respect to the operators
white paper of today" Mr.. Lewis
said. I'VE consider it a masterpiece
OF distortion and malicious untruths
and a rather contemplate publicity
stunt. It demonstrates the utter
lack of good faith. in this confer
ence on the part of the operators. -
Assails U. s. Steel.
Mr. Lewis further charged during
the general press conference that
the United States Steel Corp, whose
captive" mines are represented in
the Northern Appalachian group
dominated the conference. He de-
clared:
Until the United States Steel
Corp. changes its mind it is obvious
that the commercial operators will
not have the courage to combat the
position of United States Steel"
When Harry M. Moses, representa-
tive of United States Steel at the
conferences, described Mr.. Lewis re :
marks as bunk" the miners chief
tain said:
Il hope that United States Steel
will take its beak out of the heart
OF the mine workers."
Charles O'Neill, head of the North
ern operators. said no formal vote
was taken yesterday on the Northern
operators proposal to extend the
existing wage agreement for the
! SAA sAoASAA Va Vic wal, DuI CI1dC III
would be discussed at the conference
today.
Mr.. Lewis reported that union
negotiators had indicated it was
not necessary to put the proposal to
vote to insure our rejection of it,"
The proposal, which Mr.. ONeill
said would be sent to President
Roosevelt and Government agencies
charged that the union had not sub
stantiated "by factual data or proper
argument any justification for the
extraordinary demands for wage in
creases and other concessions made
to the conference. ="
Miss Frances Perkins, Labor Sec
retary, who was in New York last
night to attend the National Con-
terence OF Women, declined to COM
ment on Mr.. Burke's statement that
the Southern operators would ask
the WLB to step into the dispute.
She called attention to the fact that
the conference resumes today.
Meantime, j. B. Warriner, presi-
dent OF the Lehigh Navigation Coal
Co., and a spokesman for anthracite
operators, said the operators believe
1T would cost too much" to pay
overtime after IS hours and double