Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-02-27
Coal Men AssaiI
Lewis Charges
AS fabrication
Mine Owners Meet
To Mop Strategy for
Contract Negotiations
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.


Edward R. Burke, president of
the Southern Coal Producers
Association, today termed
complete fabrication from start
to finish" the charge of John L.
Lewis in requesting a strike vote
for his United Mine Workers
that threat of Federal seizure
of coal mines was used to en-
courage a do nothing attitude"
among operators in contract ne
gotiations.
Mr.. Burke, former Nebraska Sen
ator, answered some of Mr.. Lewis
strike vote request charges as all the
bituminous operators met to plan
their strategy for the new contract
negotiations, which begin Thursday
at the Shoreham Hotel.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the In
terror Ickes entered the tense pic
ture, saying that $4,000, 000-ton
coal deficit is unacceptable this year
even with continued full production
if the war in Europe lasts through
1945. Production is diminishing,
though requirements hold to peak
levels, Mr.. Ickes reported to the War
Production Board in his role as sold
fuels administrator.
Contract Expires March 81.
Mr.. Lewis yesterday served 80
days notice to the Government I'M
der the Smith Connally Act that
the UNIV Policy Committee, meet
| ing to formulate new wage demands.
wanted a strike vote taken. He
said a dispute" with mine opera
tors already existed because in
spired" Government statements had
prejudiced the miners case in ad-
vance Of contract negotiations.
The miners present contract,
worked out late in 1913 after four
i major strikes, expires March 81.
Mr.. Lewis strategy in asking a
strike vote now, a labor official said,
was to place the miners in the same
bargaining position they would have
if there were no Smith Connally
Act. The miners have an unwritten
law Of mo work contract (April -
no work"
/ Mr.. Lewis blasted away at the
Smith onnally Act, which was
passed over the Presidents veto two
years ago principally to forestalI
the miners, as that grotesque slave
statute He stressed that the
miners desired no work stoppage,
although he admitted that strike
vote procedure of the act encouraged
strikes.
| In answer to Mr.. Lewis charge
that Government seizure of mines
was "a mere shadow boxing" pro-
cedure, which mine operators were
satisfied to accept rather than to
bargain genuinely, Mr.. Burke said:
That's a complete fabrication
from start to finish. There is not
a word of truth in it. The one pur-
pose We have had and still have is
to sit down on March l, dispense
with all unnecessary preliminaries,
and try in the utmost good faith to
negotiate an agreement which will
be fair to the employees, the COM
! pdIlleS anu the PUBIC.
i Lewis Action Assailed.
! ut was very unwise for one of the
partners to the collective bargaining
to go off on a tangent this way.
Every one recognizes that Mr.. Lewis
likes the dramatic. Whether he
means all he says or not, it still is
disturbing to have him serve a
strike notice. 1t may-if he is
serious-call for governmental
action, congressional action. If he
is just talking to please some of his
followers, it may be ignored"
| Mr.. Burke added that Govern
ment seizure is very poor, incom-
plete and inadequate weapon" He
admitted that Federal seizure was
not too bad a condition for opera
tors, but said there was no &C.
|