Evening star., 1943-02-04
Lewis 6irds for Fight
Wage Curbs, Asks
81 Raise for Miners
Would Boost Bosic Poy
Of 450, 900 Soft Cool
Workers to s. a Doy
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Girding for q showdown on
the Governments wage controls,
John L. Lewis United Mine
Workers today called for q ga
day wage increase for the Ma
tion's 450, 900 soft coal miners.
The proposed raise, which would
boost the miners basic wage from
~ to - Z day, conflicts With the
War Labor Boards little steel
formula-the 0overnment,s wage
yardstick.
The formula adopted last summer
BY the WLB limits increases on thu
basis Of cost Of living adjustments
70 IS per cent Of the wage Paid or
January !, 1871. The miners, Il
the spring Of 1e4l, won Z 31-a-da,
wase increase which excsededs thl
IS per cent.
Densunces Little Steel" Fsrmula.
In anno0ncint the umtou.g DE-
nfand last night, NT. Lewis repeatet
his denunciation of the little steel
formula as arbitrary and niser.
ably stupid" Although acknowl.
edging that the formula bars Q q {
day increase, he said the union be,
lteved IT had - very compelling
case"
I'VE might have to give bacl
something" he said, without ex.
planning that statement.
Mr.. Lewis aleo conceded the in.
crease would bring higher costs fou
consumers. but expressed belief Il
would be = modest flgure."
Even II the mine operators grant
the increase In = new two-yea,
agreement effective April /, TIN
WLB win still get = chance to rult
on It under its power TO review
voluntary wage agreements.
Wsuld Speed Up Nsgsliatisns.
Negotiations on the two-yea,
wage pact are scheduled to begir
March II, though former Henatoa
Edward r. Burke Of Nebraska, pres
ident Of the Southern Coal produc-
ers' Association, has proposed that
the talks start February Is. He SAID
the earlier date would assure .ssuf-
1lcient time" to reach m agreement
and prevent the possibility Of work
interruptions.
The bituminous wage demand VA
drafted by the UMW's Policy Com
mittee, which charged "con1lictins
governmental policies'' were respon-
sible for inflationary trends.
A. tri-district convention later viii
formulate demands for anthracite
miners.
Asked whether he had explored
the possibility Of m increase under
categories Of the WLB's policy other
than the little steel" formula, Mr..
Lewis said. I'VE have more or less
been continually exploring their &C.
tions and policies and we don't see
much there"
Says Policies Violate Pact.
Mr.. Lewis insisted that WLB
policies violated the no-strike agree
ment which labor made with the
Government soon after the Pearl
Harhor bombing. He said the board
did not provide the judicial deter
mination Of labor's complaints In
herent In that agreement.
Asked whether he considered the
condition he alleged freed him from
the no-strike commitment, Mr..
Lewis commented, II wouldn't say
that"
In response to . question whether
he would abolish the Little Steel
formula or merely raise the Is per
cent figure, Mr.. Lewis said, "At the
present time I merely suggest that
the mine workers should have this
increase Of ~ . day."
The wage demand was embodied
in a subcommittee report adopted
by the unions International Policy
Committee. The report said that
moderate imitation Is already here
and conflicting Governmental pol
icies are responsible for this in1la-
ton"
Cost Plus Policy Assailed.
"OPA maximum price ceilings"
the report went on, "are rendered
ineffective by Army, Navy and pro-
curement mass purchases Of war
supplies on q cost-plus basis. Cost
ulus policy puts = premium upon
tnemciency, extravasance, war
brokers fees and black market
operations. The higher the manu-
facturers' costs, the greater hts unit
prcfit and financial rewards.
Industry Is permitted expansion
Of maximum prices to compensate
(see MINERS, Page A-l60