Evening star., 1943-05-15
A. P. Photo


ernment under the direction of the
Secretary Of the Interior, provision
has been made by special order for
mandatory operation of the mines to
the greatest feasible extent on a
six-day basis, with payment of time
and one-half or rate and one half
on the sixth day of work.
With scheduled demand for
600,000,O00 to $50 900, 900 tons of coal
for l943, the largest in our history,
plus growing shortage of miners,
it should be possible for the miners
and the operators to undertake COL
lective bargaining to the develop
ment of mutually satisfactory plan
by which the benefits OF the six-day
week could be assured to the miners.
Such plan could probably be rein
forced by assurances from the Gov
ernment to the operators that for
an agreed period the operators will
have market for all the coal they
produce.
The executive orders of the Presi-
dent, notably 90l7. and the board S
policies, permit and encourage COL
lective bargaining in wartime as in
peacetime on all phases of the en-
ployer- -employe relationship which
do not directly conflict with the ma
tlonal policies against imitation, as
defined in executive order $3.50 and
executive order 1928 as supplemented
by the director Of economic stabill-
ization on May II, l943
"As applied to the facts in this
case. there is more than ample room
for collective bargaining, including
bargaining on some issues which
may reasonably produce greater
income for the mine workers without
prejudicing the program which the
Government has adopted in time of
war for the economic protection Of
the Nation.
The procedure of collective bar
gaining in time of war serves the
purpose of resolving the issues in
dispute. or narrowing the issues, to
facilitate a fair and speedy determi-
nation by the War Labor Board.
In this case, because of the apparent
absence Of any real collective bar
gaining on many of the major issues.
these values of collective bargaining
are wholly absent.
The board through its panel is
nevertheless proceeding to assemble
the facts on which it will base its
final decision. Meanwhile. as a con-
structive step in expediting final
settlement of this dispute, either by
agreement or by board decision. the
board Is directing the parties to re-
sumo negotiations with a view to
eliminating, or at least narrowing.
some or all of their differences.
BY virtue of and pursuant to
the powers vested in it by Execu-
tive Order No. 90l7 and Executive
Order No. $3.50, the National War
Labor Board hereby directs that:
Il. The parties shall resume COL
lective bargaining under arrange
ments to be worked out by the par
ties jointly in consultation with a
division of the board on Monday
morning. May II, 1943. at 10 am.
.. The parties shall report to the
board within ten u0) days the re-
suits OF their further negotiations
3. Any wage adjustments result
ing from such negotiations shall be
submitted to the board for Its ap-
proval.
=. The parties shall continue the
uninterrupted production of coal un-
der the contract terms and condi-
tions that existed on and prior to
March 81, 1943, until the differences
that now separate the parties are
peacefully and finally resolved, with
the understanding that II the new
agreement includes any wage ad-
1ustments such adjustments shall be
computed and applied retroactively
from March 81, l943.
IS. The panel shall proceed to
complete its findings of fact and
submit its report to the board at the
earliest moment consistent with a
fair and complete analysis of the
evidence in the case"