Evening star., 1943-06-20
Lewis and Operators Adjourn
Coal Por|ey Until II AN. Today;
$1,000 Miners Already Idle
Result Of Bargaining
Conference YESTERDAY
Not Revealed
BY the Associated Press.

With another coal strike al
ready spreading, John L. Lewis
and the operators recessed their
bargaining conferences last night
until II am. today.
There was no indication from
either side of any results from
yesterdays conferences, called to
consider the War Labor Board S
decision against ordering portal
to-portal pay in the soft-coal in
dustry
More than $4,000 miners, about a
10th of the total, already had quit
their jobs in expectation of the end
at midnight tonight of truce de-
clared by Mr.. Lewis United Mine
Workers after the last work halt
early this month
Mr.. Lewis met with his district
presidents yesterday morning and
arranged for a joint conference
with the operators at 2:30 pm
After that conference convened, the
operators held private caucus,
while the unions Policy Committee
met at pm. and recessed.
Joint Conference Reconvened.
Then the joint conference recon-
vened to discuss the WLB order that
they sign contract including
pledge of no-strike for the duration
OF the war. This session recessed
shortly after pm. until today.
UNIV officials said the unions
policy committee will meet again
this afternoon.
Up for decision were these i'm
portant questions:
War Labor Board and refuse to sign
a new contract providing only about
20 cents day more for the miners
Whether the UNIV would defy the
than they received under the old
one.
Whether the Nation is to undergo
general tie-up of coal mining, also
in defiance of the Government
agency, of potential serious injury
to the war effort.
Possibly hinging also on the de-
cisions was the question of whether
President Roosevelt would sign the
anti-stike bill passed by Congress
and providing fines and imprison-
ment for persons promoting or aid
ing strike in Government-oper-
ated war facility.
Work Stops In Many States.
AS the truce deadline approached
work stoppages dotted the great
producing States of the Appalachian
area.
At Birmingham, Ala, Interna-
tional Representative John j. Han
ratty of the UMY declared the walk
out was spontaneous demonstra-
ton of dissatisfaction with the
WLB's decision denying additional
pay on the basis Of time spent trav-
cling underground.
The walkouts began Friday night
In Alabama and Pennsylvania, a
few operations closing shortly after
the decisions became known. Yes
terday morning more than 10000
stayed away in Pennsylvania fields
and similar reports came from other
States.
In Alabama, some $4,000 were idle.
In Kentucky 1882, Ohio $3.50, Illi-
nois 4200, Virginia 1000, West Vir-
ginia 5000, Tennessee TOO and In
diana 750.
Hugh White, vice president of
District II of the UNIV in Illinois.
said the more than 1000 men out
In that State declined to work ION
&eir own initiative" He asserted:
The War Labor Board says the
miners should 60 back to the old
contract Of two years ago." he said.
That contract provided for a five
day work week-and the men al
ready have worked five days"
Hope for Agreement Voiced.
Last May 4, Fuel Administrator
Ickes, Government operator of the
mines ordered a six-day week in all
mines.
william Hargest, secretary-treas-
urer of UNIV district in Penn
sylvania, declared the spontaneous
work stoppages were not unex-
pected, and he expressed hope some
form of agreement would be reached
over the week end to send the miners
back to work tomorrow.
Whether the meeting of UNIV
officials and the mine owners might
bring any action to check the walk
out was matter of speculation.
While declining to order payments
to the miners for time spent in
underground travel, the WLB did
not bar the miners from obtaining
them by other means
The board said that whether the
miners were legally due such pay
ments under the Fair Labor Stand