Evening star., 1943-10-22
Mine Wa|kouts
Spread; on
Rail Strike Near
Ohio and Kentucky
Pits Close; Union
Leaders Convene

ESOOCiS SOuNSuS
COAL SHORTAGE likely to become
more acute, Senate committee Is
told. Page Ais
The clouds over the coal and
railroad industries grew darker
today as approximately $500
more miners quit work in Ohio
and in the Harlan (Ky) area
and the 700 general chairmen of
the five operating rail brother
hoods arranged to meet at pm.
in Chicago amid indications that
action on strike may be taken.
The Harlan walkouts at nine big
mines, the first attributed to dis
satisfaction over lack of contract
between the United Mine Workers
and the operators, brought to ap-
proximately 7.700 the number Of
idle miners in Kentucky.
A majority of Alabama's $4,000
union miners also remained away
from the pits and 400 others In
$50 Miners Out in Ohio.
Ohio coal miners at the Powhatan
Point shaft of the Powhatan Min
ing Co. and the Piney Work mine
of the Hanna Coal Co. also quit
work today.
Tom Starks, United Mine Workers
organizer, said he had not talked
to local union officials at the mines
but that individual miners told him
they walked out because they had
no contract.
The Powhatan mine, largest In
Ohio, employees 1850 miners, and
600 are employed at Piney Fork.
Robert Hodge, secretary of dis
trict 19 of the UNIV, said the Ken
tucky walkouts were unauthorized.
The representatives of $4,000 op-
Grating railroaders met in Chicago
to take action to bring to a head
their 10-month fight for higher
wages.
There is no question but what
a call for a strike vote will issue
from the meeting" said a union
spokesman.
Harry Fraser, president of the
order of Railway Conductors, said
that railway workers won't be sat-
lsfied with any more hearings"
Rank and File Back Strike.
David R. Robertson, president OF
the Brotherhood of Locomotive
flremen and Enginemen, was asked
the attitude of the unions rank and
file
We have volume and volumes Of
kilograms from hundreds and hun
dreds of the rank and file urging Us
to issue call for a strike" he re-
piled.
A. F. Whitney, president OF the
Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men, said here yesterday that
he would advise the unions not to
accept an emergency boards recon-
mendation of a wage increase OF 1
cents an hour. Mr.. Whitney. who
represented the brotherhoods at yes
.terday's meeting between labor lead
ers and President Roosevelt, reit-
Grated the boards recommendation
was unsatisfactory.
Other union presidents. spokes-
men said, will join with Mr.. Whit
ney IN rejecting the award, which
they have termed an insult" Last
December the unions asked for a 80
per cent raise with a minimum in
crease OF 50 a day. The proposed
boost would cost the railroads about
s4o,Ooo,oo0 annually and would be
retroactive to April /, 1943.
In the event a strike vote is ap-
proved, We'll set the date for a
strike and let somebody else make
a move a spokesman said.
Other Unions May Follow.
Should the brotherhoods decide
to take strike vote, similar action
might be authorized by the nom
operating railroad unions. which
have 1000 900 members. That group
has asked for wage boosts of 90
cents an hour with an hourly mini
mum OF 70 cents, the proposed in
creases costing about s2O4,0OO 900 a
year.
Meanwhile, the United Mine Work
ers went before the War Labor Board
today seeking to justify a proposed
wage increase of SITS a day in the
Illinois fields, which they hoped
would set a pattern for a settlement
throughout the country, but with
little prospect that this figure will
prevail.
The UNIV accused the Appala-
chan operators of attempting to
'terrify the public" with estimates
of increased coal costs of As to 60
cents ton if the proposed Illinois
contract is extended.
Percy Tetlow, UNIV consultant.
told the WLB, This is an old
game with the operators. They
do it in every wage conference"
The operators, Mr.. Tetlow said.
base their estimates ION their CAL
|culatlons. that a miners additional
days earnings on a six-day week,
with payment of overtime rates for
all hours exceeding 40, would weld
from S1.70 to Sl83 per Cay. They
say nothing about the increased ton
mage after deducting travel time.
Even if the operators only secured
tsee LABOR, Page A-16.)
Ondo~,nnen