Evening star., 1943-07-03
UNIV Urges Strikers
To Return 10 Work.;
Thousands Still Out.
Union Poper Says Rights
Won't Be Forfeited;
Cites War Needs
BY the Associated Press,

oy tHe hSSUCldtcQ FTeSS,
The leadership of the United
Mine Workers admonished all
members today to return to work
because there is nothing to be
gained" by continued striking
and "the war cannot be won
without an adequate supply of
coal"
Thousands are still OH the Job In
the coal fields.
by returning to work." said the
lead editorial in the United Mine
Workers journal. the mine work.
ers are not forfeiting collective bar
gaining or their right to negotiate
wage agreement with the coal op-
orators embodying portal-to- portal
pay and other benefits.
Certainly. under these conditions.
coal miners have nothing to lose by
their resumption OF work until such
time as satisfactory agreement can
be reached or the Policy Committee
is called into meeting again to cam
vass the situation and to determine
a further course OF action.
Steel Firms Assailed.
1--WE are at war. We must win the
war. The war cannot be won with
out an adequate supply of coal.
American coal miners don't want
to strike, They don't want to impede
the war effort"
The editorial said Republic Steel
Corp. and the United States Steel
Corp, operating in Alabama, had
refused to store coal "for the reason
that they did not want to pay over
time rates for six-day employment
and spend the money necessary to
pick up the storaged coal In the
case of q shortage"
Referring to the shutdown Of
several steel furnaces in the Ala
bama region, the publication said
every furnace which needs to be
refined, where major repairs must
be made, Is closed down during a
temporary stoppage OF coal mining
and the news is heralded that the
miners strike is reducing essential
steel production.
Storage Reported High.
There are more than 10000, 900
tons OF bituminouS coal in storage
the larges. storage stocks OF coal
ever recorded in June in the history
of American coal production. Yet,
the steel companies publicized shut
downs resulting from their self
wiiled unpreparedness when coal
production stops for three or four
days"
To the Journals plea was added
reminders flom UNIV district offi-
cials that BY starting work Monday
morning The miners can earn the
equivalent Of seven days pav for
six days work. The Anthracite Tri-
District Scale Committee was one
OF the groups which pointed out that
miners would receive time-and-one-
half or rate-and -one-half Monday,
when normally they would observe
the July 4 holiday. as we'll as on
Saturday, since they get extra pay
for sixth r:ork-day each week.
$1,000 Still Out.
Reports from the fields indicate
that approximately $1,000 of the Ma
tons 52l, 1000 miners still are on
strike, including 77,800-more than
half OF them hard coal miners-in
Pennsylvania, 10000 in Alabama,
$500 in Virginia and 700 in Tennes-
see. Absenteeism also was running
from 10 to 20 per cent in many
mines.
The amount OF coal lost In the two
weeks during which all or part of
the miners have been idle was esti-
mated at more than 100000 tons.
The National Coal Association here
reported that production slumped
last week to 1850 900 tons or 1850
900 less than the bituminous coal
division of the Interior Department
reported for the previous week. while
the present weeks output was eX-
pected to fall at least 5000 900 tons
under the divisions figure.