Evening star., 1943-06-28
Pickets Halt
Coal Workers.,
Company5ays
Number Returning
To Jobs in Mines
Gains Slightly
PLANS TO NATIONALIZE coal in
dustry denied by Ickes. Page AS

PLANS TO NATIONALIZE coal in
dustry denied by Ickes. Page As
BY the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, June 28.-Scat-
tered gains in the number of
men working in the coal fields
were shown today in early re-
ports which indicated the move -
ment to restore full shifts in the
partially operating fields might
be a slow process.
In Ohio, United Mine Workers =
leaders reported all except 1850 Of
its $1,000 miners back in the pits
with the expectation that all would
be back tomorrow. Only 5000
worked in Ohio last week end.
Many UNION meetings we're held
yesterday in the Appalachian field
at which scores of locals voted to
go back to work, and scattered re-
ports from the Pennsylvania soft
coal field gave an increase in the
number Of men working, but the
captive steel mines still were short.
handed.
Picketing Reported.
The United States Steel Corp re-
ported operations better" at its
mines, but none of the four Jones
& Laughlin Steel Corp. mines
worked. A J. g. L. spokesman said
pickets prevented workers from en-
terlng one mine.
James Mark, president of the big
Central Pennsylvania district, said
incomplete reports showed $4,000
out Of $4,000 miners were working,
an improvement over last week by
several thousand.
Kentucky reported $1,000 Of It's
$4,000 miners Working-a gain of
more than 1000 over last week.
Union officials explained that local
situations" prevented the return at
some mines. In Western Kentucky
4,500 men were out "on vacation"
protesting they received only $50
vacation pay instead of $50 agreed
upon.
Indiana reported $500 in the
mines out of 5000, a decrease OF
oUO from ldSL week.
Anthracite Surge Collapses.
Hopes for back to work surge
in the Pennsylvania anthracite
fields collapsed when less than 25,-
900 Of the industry'S $4,000 workers
returned to their jobs Last week
end $4,000 worked in the anthracite
mines.
Although at least l8 United Mine
Workers locals voted at stormy week
end meetings to resume production
in the hard coal fields, only a few
/ thousand miners carried out the de-
cision and some mines that operated
1 last week failed to reopen
| West Virginia reported the ma
jority Of it's 10000 miners working
although absenteeism was described
as high in the Pocahontas Field In
the southern part of the State UNIV
leaders described the turnout as
better than ordinary" At least two
mines there were closed because
Of mechanical difficulties, but early
. repairs were to be made.
/ Representative of operators in
/ Alabama, where coal is badly needed
! for steel mills. said on the basis Of
an incomplete check the situation
there looks worse than it did Satur-
day"
Yesterdays upsurge in work sen.
| timent was spirited in West Vir-
/ glnia. Local unions throughout the
Southern fields adopted resolutions
/ ~,
produce all the coal necessary for
the prosecution of the war"
1000 Decide to Return.
I In the Winding Gulf area OF dis
/ trlct 29 in West Virginia, where ap-
proximately 1000 miners were idle
Saturday. District Vice President
Nick Aiello said the men decided to
join the work movement.
1T is my understanding, said Mr..
Aiello, that all of the locals met
and voted to return to work. Some
one was agitating the men and they
Just were confused. but after the
Policy Committees recommendation
was explained to them, they agreed
| to work"
| ASoANSAO "ilidAl DllGLdIu u Ol LIS
trlct II sounded the keynote at
Logan. w. Va, with a speech to the
rank and file counselling them to
act together be loyal to the union
and go back to work together"
Spokesman at the meeting criti-
cized President Roosevelt, the new
anti-strike legislation and the War
Labor Board, but declared that I'VE
are going to show our good faith"