Evening star., 1943-07-22
Coal Contract
Provides WPb
Subpoena Test
Illinois Agreement
Coils for So a Day
Wage Increase
By the Associated Press,

A contract between the United
Mine Workers and Illinois BIZ
luminous coal operators, possibly
wedge for final settlement OF
the prolonged coal wage contro-
versy, offered the War Labor
Board today its first opportunity
to test its new powers of sub
poena.
Providing for 48-hour week and
wage increases of about 50 a day for
$4,000 union employees of the Illinois
Coal Operators Association, the
agreement is contingent on WLB
approval and an OPA authorization
for increases in coal prices to offset
the higher production costs.
There was no indication how the
contract would be received by the
WLB, which previously had rejected
portal to portal (nonproductive
travel time) pay for miners.
Hearings Expected.
1t was expected. however, that
the board would order hearings to
ascertain the basis on which the
SIPS daily portal-to- portal pay in
the new agreement was arrived at.
Such hearings, board spokesmen
said, naturally would require the
attendance of President John L.
Lewis of the UNIV. He has ignored
tho WI TP nnpSiSfanf1u
several times to appear before it.
The recently enacted antistrike
law contains a clause authorizing
the board to issue subpoenas for
witnesses.
The joint announcement by UNIV
District II and the Illinois operators
said the operators had sent to the
WLB signed copy of the new con-
tract. 1t did not carry Mr.. Lewis
signature.
Union spokesman said it's approval
by the WLB in all probability would
lead to signing of similar contracts
with other districts in the entire
bituminous field, in which mines
are operating under Government
direction and without contracts.
The two-year pact with the I'LL
nois operators was made retroactive
to April l.
Provides 48-HOur Week.
In addition to outlawing strikes
for the period and giving portal-to-
portal pay. it lengthens the usual
UNIV 7-hour work-day and 35-hour
week to 48 hours, at the rate of eight
hours daily for six days. For the
eighth hour on each of the first five
days and for the entire eight hours
on the sixth day. the miners would
receive pay at the rate of time and
one-half
Many miners now are working a
six-day, 42-hour week. with time
and one-half for all hours over IS.
At their average pay of ST hourly.
they receive now $35 in straight pay
weekly plus $l0.50 in overtime.
A miner working full time under
the new agreement would be paid
S6350 instead of the present $45 so
weekly, by working longer.
Portal Pay Basis.
Union spokesmen said the miners
normally would work only five days
under the new contract unless there
was an urgent need for increased
production.
The $1.25 for portal to- portal pay,
chief issue in a bitter wage dispute
that thrice has resulted in closing
the coal pits, was based on an esti-
mate of 81 minutes daily as the time
spent in nonproductive travel
The miners sought sl.30 daily for
portal-to-portal pay, claim they
presented after their original de-
mands for a fiat 81 daily wage boost
was rejected.
Hard Coal Talks Continued.
Meanwhile, members of a wage
| negotiating subcommittee compris-
ing anthracite coal producers and
UNIV representatives scheduled
continued negotiations today in an
effort to break a 16-week deadlock
over the signing of a new contract
A spokesman for the producers
said the group. meeting in UNIV
headquarters, probably will study
the wage agreement between the
UNIV and Illinois producers. pro-
viding they can get copy of the
contract.
A spokesman who has been closely
associated with anthracite producers
declared that in his opinion the Illi-
nois contract will have no effect on
anthracite negotiations because. he
said, the problems facing anthracite
ana bituminous producers are
wholly different"
The contract between anthracite
producers and the UNIV expired
March 81.
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