Evening star., 1946-10-23

OF Coal Strike
Near Elections
Lewis UItimutum
DeodIine Falls Four
Days Before Voting
By Jones Y. Newton

The Government faced a de-
cision today on whether to re-
treat before John L. Lewis latest
demands or accept the conse-
quences of a soft coal strike No
vember /.
The timing of the Lewis ultima
tum, whether by design or not, was
admittedly embarrassing to the adj
ministration, politically and eco
nomically. The deadline falls four
days before the elections and at the
time cold weather sets in over much
of the country.
Lewis Warns Krug.
Here is what Mr.. Lewis told Sec
retary of Interior Krug, who had
baked at the union leaders request
for reopening November l of the
wage agreement under which the
Government has operated the soft
coal mines since last May:
The existing Krug-Lewis agree
ment expressly provides that both
parties to the agreement are bound
to meet within a Today period upon
formal request of either party.
Such formal request was filed
yesterday by the United Mine
Workers of America. Failure on
your part to honor this meeting
will constitute another breach Of
the contract and will void the Krug-
Lewis agreement.
Secretary Refuses Comment.
Mr.. Lewis did not say the 100000
soft-coal miners would strike. But
the mine workers traditionally OBJ
serve a policy of no contract,
no work" Many times over the
years they have needed no instruc-
tions from Mr.. Lewis as to what
to do when a contract expired.
Mr.. Krug, in New Mexico on .
lengthy inspection of Interior De-
partment projects, refused comment
on the Lewis ultimatum. Earlier
he had informed Mr.. Lewis he
would meet with him November l
in California or five days later in
Washington. But Mr.. Krug made
it clear that such meeting would
be concerned with miners griev-
ances under the present contract
and not reopening of the con-
tract.
Both Mr. Krug and Navy Capt.
N. H. Collision, the Government
coal mines administrator, have in
formed Mr.. Lewis that the wage
agreement signed May 20 by the
Interior Secretary and Mr., Lewis to
END a 59-day mines strike is good
for the entire period of Federal op-
Grafton and is not reopenable.
Union Chief Disagrees.
Mr.. Lewis takes the opposite posi-
ton He contends that provision
for reopening the contract on 10
days notice by either party is car
ried over into the Krug-LeWiS agree
ment from the 1945 contract with
private mine operators.
In filing notice of the unions de-
sire to reopen the contract on wages
and other issues, Mr.. Lewis charged
that the Government has broken
the Krug-Lewis agreement in two
places. He said that the miners
were being cheated on the division
of the sl00 a year vacation pay,
and by the method of calculating
the tax of cents per ton on all
coal mined for the union welfare
fund. On the latter point, he said
coal was being weighed after it
was cleaned instead of as the miners
dug it.
Capt. COLLISION agreed to put in
effect in all mines an arbitration
award in Illinois favorable to the
Lewis point of view on the vacation
pay dispute. He suggested that the
argument over computation of the
welfare fund levy be decided by
AN eminent jurist'' satisfactory to
both sides.
Willing to Arbitrate Point.
After writing Mr.. Lewis yester-
day that the Krug-Lewis agree
ment did not provide for recon-
sideration of wages and other
points during the time of Federal
operation of the mines, Capt. Col
lisson told reporters the Govern
ment would even be willing to
arbitrate that point.
1t was after he had received
Capt. Collisions letter, in which
the administrator said the miners
were expected to abide by the Krug
agreement, that Mr. Lewis issued
his ultimatum.
The Government has operated,
on paper, the soft coal mines since
the Krug-Lewis agreement, was
signed.
"Crackdown" Considered.
Most of the private operators have
favored accepting the Government
agreement and taking back their
mines. Southern operators, how
ever, refused and the step was never
taken.
Several times over the years and
most recently last spring the Gov
ernment has considered cracking
down" on Mr.. Lewis. Officials now
must make a decision as to whether
to give in to the mine leader once
more or battle it out with him.
There loomed the possibility that
(See COAL, Page A-3.)