Evening star., 1943-07-24
Lewis Is Now WiIIinq
To Defend Illinois Pact
Before WLB August ;
BY the Associated Press

oS the ASSOClaleQ Press.
The dove of peace fluttered
over strange new course today
between the Offices of John L.
Lewis and the War Labor Board.
To get contract he likes for his
half million coal miners, the United
Mine Workers chieftain at last is
ready to talk with the board he
long has scorned. And the board
is ready, too.
In an unusual reversal of form.
Mr.. Lewis officially recognized the
board late yesterday and offered to
come before 1t in defense of a con-
tract signed three days ago between
the UMW's District II and the Illi-
nois Coal Operators Association.
Hearing August 3.
The board promptly accepted and
notified him to attend a public
hearing starting August 3. During
the mine labor dispute. which led
to Government operation of the
pits, several previous board requests
for Mr.. Lewis appearance went
unheeded
The only official explanation of
the Lewis action came from UNIV
official, who said that in the past
the board had no statutory stand
ing, but that it received legal status
through enactment of the Anti
strike Act.
The move was seen by most labor
observers as a sign of Mr.. Lewis
determination to fight for board
approval of the Illinois UNIV con-
tract, which the UNIV Policy Com
mlttee has approved as a model for
the entire coal industry.
The tWo-year contract provides
for payment of portable portal paw
at the rate of SIPS daily and ex-
tends the basic work week from 35
. hours to 48 weekly with time and
one-half pay after IS hours.
Hope for Similar Contracts.
Board approval of the Illinois
agreement-affecting about 10000
miners in District 12-union spokes-
men said, would pave the way for
signing of similar contracts through
out the coal fields.
The board last month refused to
approve portal-to-portal pay until
given facts and figures proving that
the pay was legally due and not a
hidden wage increase.
The portal TO- portal issue has
blocked signing of contracts in the
larger coal fields, and Mr.. Lewis
characterized the boards recon-
mended agreement without that pro-
vision as a yellow dog contract.
His refusal to comply with the direc-
tive has constituted one of the most
serious threats to the boards
prestige
Mr.. Lewis offered to come before
/ the board in a letter to Chairman
| William H. Davis in which he de-
Tended the Illinois agreement as in
the public interest
May Settle Whole Dispute.
! The operators previously had re-
quested an opportunity to support
/ the contract at a board hearing and
said they were ready to present Of
fficial data to justify its provision for
portal-to-portal pay.
Mr. Davis interpreted Mr.. Lewis
move as indicating a desire on the
part CT the union chieftain to settle
the whole controversy"
Settlement of the mine dispute
would remove one of the major nom
compliance cases in the boards files.
The entire subject of non-com-
pliance. and the boards fear that it
would be rendered ineffective if it's
orders were not enforced, was the
topic of a conference WLB members
had yesterday with War MobiliZa-
tion Director Byrnes at the White
House. Under discussion was a
compliance program the board has
been working on for weeks.
MI. Davis said possible moves un-
der consideration include refusal by
the War Production Board and other
| agencies to make materials available
to non-c complying industries, and
revocation of draft deferment status
of individuals who defy the boards
directives. The compliance pro-
gram may be announced within the
| navt dove M, Do,ic coiJ