Evening star., 1945-04-06
Goal Operators
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Appeal 10 WLB
Union Negotiotors
Demand Continuance
Of Wage ToIks
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

ooAD SOO1 OPCl dCOI D VI Okt up
the mine wage conference here
this afternoon by announcing
they would take differences over
a work contract to the War La
Dor Board tomorrow.
The operators and John L. Lew
is United Mine Workers, attempts
ing to draft new contract for the
bituminous industry under threat
of Government seizure of the mines,
were in complete disagreement as
to the future status of the con-
ference.
Ezra Van Horn, conference chair
man, announced following todays
negotiating session that the op-
orators had moved that conference
rules be suspended and the meet
ing recessed subject to the call of
the chairman. The operators, he
said, voted yes, and the union
negotiators no
Mr.. Van Horn said that then, un-
der conference rules, he ordered the
meeting adjourned until 10 am. to-
morrow, since the joint group op-
crates under majority rule, and
there are like number of union
representatives and operators in the
conference.
Will Report Deadlock.
Mr.. Van Horn said the operators
requested the recess so they could
report deadlock of negotiations to
tho WI 2 tho hoo yI nod WI
them to do by tomorrow. The op-
orators said they would go to WLB
tomorrow, while the miners insisted
they will report at the Shoreham
Hotel for the wage conference at
10 am.
UNIV officials would not comment
as to whether Mr.. Lewis, as he did
two years ago, would refuse to rec
ognize the authority of the. .WLB.
1t was stressed that Mr.. Lewis has
insisted that the board lacks the
authority to make its orders stick
ano that ii is purely advisory"
body.
In today's sharp break, the miners
neld the position that conference
/ liCSOl1oG1Ol1O O4IOu1d SollOll1QC d1lo
that the chairman could comply
with the WLB request for a report
by telephone.
The operators, it was believed, will
hold to their contention that con-
ference negotiations have broken
down and that the time has arrived
for WLB to take over the case.
Five Pits Reoponed.
There was indication, meanwhile,
of a back-to-work movement at
mines that supplied fuel to vital
steel mills. Five additional pits in
the Pittsburgh area owned by sub
sidiary of United States Steel we're
reported reopened today
K. c. Adams, a UNIV spokes-
man, said the union was making
every effort to get its members to
return to work and that he believed
the mines would be in full operation
by Monday.
mo work stoppage in any mines
has been inspired by the UNIV" Mr..
Adams told reporters, wherever the
operator or management has agreed
to meet the terms and conditions of
the extended work agreement. We
are not responsible for differences
which arise locally and become ag-
gravated as between management
and the men"
I'VE are still trying to get them
back to work. We are going to use
every measure at our command in
getting them to return to the job"
Mr.. Adams contended that good
part of the mine absenteeism was
due to long hours of work. He said
this physical reaction was espe-
cially noticeable in the captive"
or steel-owned mines which have
been operating seven days a week.
The miners, he continued, saw a
chance to get rest and took it.
Union Blames Operators.
Mr.. Adams made public number
in Kentucky coal fields charging
that management had inspired work
stoppages in several instances A
telegram from a Kansas union off,
cial said the operators there wanted
the miners to work only a couple
of days week.
The railroads, meanwhile, were
reported feeling effects of dwin-
ding supplies of coal. A rail official
in Cincinnati was quoted as saying
that roads were operating on a day.
to-day basis and that one line serv-
ing a large portion of the East
would cut passenger mileage 80 per
cent in case of extreme emergency.
Officials here did not believe that
widespread mine work stoppages
this week could have been reflected
so rapidly in railroad coal supplies,
(See COAL, Page A-4)