Evening star., 1943-10-27
Tomorrow SET
las Dead|ine for
Miners Return
WLB's Substitute
For Illinois Pact
Received CoIdIy
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The labor front ratified with
controversy today with strike
threats booming over two war.
vital industries-coal and rail.
roads-as result OF these de-
velopments:
/. Soft coal miners received with
cold reserve the War Labor Boards
proposed substitute for an Illinois
model wage agreement.
2, The WLB set tomorrow morn
ing as deadline for resumption OF
all coal mining and said strikes IN
erect then would be certified to the
PRESIDENT, presumably as a prelude
10 second Government seizure Of
the mines and the invocation of
penalties against the union. under
the Antistrike Act An estimated
As 900 miners now are idle.
5. FIJI teen Incorporating rail
unions joined the five transporta-
ton brotherhoods in ordering n
strike vote as a protest against Gov.
eminent rejection of their wage de.
mands.
Acceptance Doubted.
John l.. Lewis, United Mine
Workers president, at home with a
heavy cold, declined comment. A
union spokesman. however. remark.
ed that the board has sinned awav
It's day of grace" and expressed
doubt the substitute plan would be
acceptable.
The union offered the Illinois nlan
as model for the entire industry.
The WLB said it could not approve
the Illinois plan which would have
increased earnings sl50 day for 4
4o-hour week or less. 1t said It.
could approve increased earnings OF
sll212 a day. The boards alterna.
tive proposal would INCREASE the
earnings for a six-day week more
than SO, compared with an $1l in
crease under the agreement as sub.
mltted. The earnings for the last
two days of the week are higher be-
cause Of the overtime rates after 20
hours.
Approved by is Vote.
These figures apply to the inside
laborer who gets basic wage OF 81
now for a 7-hour productive day.
The board pointed out that most
miners receive more than that and
that average earnings for 6-day
week of 81 hours would be about $50.
The WLB's counterofIer was ap-
proved by vote of Z to 5, the four
public members and three industry
members voting in the ma ajority.
One industry member, Almon Roth,
San Francisco, Joined the four labor
members in dissenting.
Setting a deadline for the cessa-
ton OF strikes. the board sent tele-
grams to Mr.. Lewis and other UNIV
officers saying "the Nation cannot
tolerate such impairment OF vital
coal production" If strikes do not
cease by tomorrow morning, the
board will Immediately refer the
matter to the President for appro-
pirate action"
Returnable November Is.
The strike ballot in the railroad
case was made returnable November
Is. The union chiefs made it plain
that whatever the result of the poll,
no strike of their 100000 members
was to take place until authorized
and that all efforts at peaceful set
tlement must be exhausted first.
They issued a statement reviewing
their case, including the Scent
hourly wage increase recommended
by an emergency board in May and
the Presidents request that they ac-
cept it. Subsequently Sterilization
Director Fred M. Vinson set it aside.
Mr.. Wilson's arbitrary and ca
pricious' action in upsetting The
recommendation, they reported, was
without previous conferences, In.
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