Evening star., 1943-06-05
Sets June 70
Dead|ine on
Wage Demands
Miners and Owners
AssoiI WPB Order
Delaying Por|ey
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
John L. Lewis coal miners to-
day raised the possibility of an
other crisis by hedging their
back -toWork agreement with a
June 20 deadline for settling
their contract demands.
Attached to telegrams authoriz-
ing local unions to get back to work
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Roosevelt's dead
line for ending the strike which has
held the coal industry in thrall since
Tuesday-Was this qualification:
up to and including June 20"
This action" said the UNIV Pol
icy Committee. was taken to pro-
tect your union and it's membership"
No Direct Threats.
However. the committee disavowed
any intention of hampering the war
effort, saying there is ample coal en-
hand and even the present situa-
ton has not impaired our war pro-
duct:ve effort
Washington observers noted that
neither in the kilograms to the local
unions nor in A committee state
ment were there any direct threats
to go out on strike again. The state
ment set out that:
The United Mine Workers Of
America want to make a full con-
trlbution to MAINTAIN a continuity
Of coal production adequate to meet
every war requirement
Locals received this telegram:
The National Policy Committee,
by unanimous vote. has authorized
a return to work on Monday. June
7, up to and including June 20.
This action was taken to protect
your union and its membership. Let
each member cooperate with this
policy.
BY order of the National Policy
Committee
Negotiations Resumed.
The telegram was signed by UNIV
President John l.. Lewis, Vice Presi-
dent John OLeary and Thomas
Kennedy. secretary treasurer.
Meanwhile, the soft coal operators
and union leaders returned to the
bargaining table, but whether they
would actually negotiate the issues
today was an open question. Tech
nically negotiations before the men
return to work would violate the
War Labor Boards order, which
blasted negotiations until the miners
return to work That will be Mon
day.
Operators as well AS miners point
today after being advised that the
board is insisting on a strict inter-
probation of its order that contract
negotiations shall not go forward
until the men return to work.
Both sides declared their readi-
ness to proceed with bargaining, but
Ezra Van Horn. conference chair
man. said he had been advised that
the board would not recognize the
negotiations until coal production is
resumed. Mr.. Van Horn said the
conference, therefore. recessed and
that meanwhile efforts would be
made to get the board to relent.
Both Sides Rap Board.
Charles O'Neill, who is spokes-
man for the Northern Appalachian
operators. said the WLB restriction
was "a wholly unWarranted and un-
necessary obstruction of this con-
ference
MI Lewis commented that I'VE
regard the action of the board as
reported by Chairman Van Horn,
as being mischevious and malicious
and complete justification of our
previous appraisal of the boards &C
tions'
Edward r. Burke. spokesman for
the Southern operators. said his
group felt that the back to- work
order of the UNIV leadership yes
terday while not technically in full
compliance with the language of
the WLB order, is sufficient COM
pliance to allow us to proceed"
Mr.. Burke added I'VE do not in
any way subscribe to the descrip-
tion of the board and its members
as Mr.. Lewis describes them
"Policy.' WLB Replies.
Later, the WLB issued a statement
saying that its instructions not to
resume negotiations until the mine
workers ARE actually back" at work
reflects the established policy of the
board, known to the parties, that
negotiations in a case within the
jurisdiction of the board may not be
continued during a work stoppage."
At the same time the board in
formed the coal operators that it is
not concerned with meetings of the
parties on other subjects, provided
that it was made clear in any state
ment explaining any such meeting
that the parties were not negotiat-
ing on the terms of the contract"
So far as time is concerned, an
agreement on the portal-to-portal
pay issue, or a decision on it by the
War Labor Board, is easily possible
before June 90 Nevertheless. there
remains the possibility that the
WLB, which Mr.. Lewis has criticized
so bitterly and has in turn been
critical of him. might intervene with
demand that the miners withdraw
their new deadline The WLB con-
ceivably could consider it an implied
threat and as such imperiling the
worth of negotiations or considera-
ton of the case by the board.
Recognize Responsibilities.
The UNIV statement, union off,
cials said, was adopted unanimously
(See COAL, Page A-4)