Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-02
Lewis Notifies w. S. He May Call
Coal Mine Strike After 30 Dovs:
Clio Stands Firm in GIN Dispute
UNIV Chief Points to
Significant Change
In Federal Policy
By jones Y. Newton

SS"S9 . iNSWtou
John l.. Lewis today reopened
the soft coal wage contract and
formally notified the Govern
ment that a strike may be called
after 80 days in support of new
demands of the 100000 miners of
bituminous coal.
In giving notice to free his hand
for a strike, as prescribed by the
War Labor Disputes Smith Con-
nallly) Act, Mr.. Lewis told the Gov
eminent that dispute existed with
the operators over unionization of
supervisory workers and over five
controversial points pertaining to
hours, rates and conditions of en-
ployment of various classifications of
employees, the five disputed points
having arisen out of an arbitrary
and unilateral Interpretation of the
contract by the operators"
The United Mine Workers chief
tain also pointed out that "signifi-
cant change" in Federal wage policy
has occurred, and indicated the
miners would take advantage of it
to seek higher wages. The notice
was sent to the Secretary of Labor,
the Wage Sterilization Board and
the National Labor Relations Board
as required by the Smith, onnally
Act. No strike vote will be taken.
since Congress recently cut off funds
for that purpose.
Asks March IL Conference.
Mr.. Lewis asked that the current
work contract be reopened in a
letter to Ezra Van Horn, chairman
of the Operators Negotiating Com
nittee of the National Bituminous
Coal Wage Conference.
He asked that the conference be
convened here March IL for the
purpose of negotiating new arrange
ments affecting wages, hours, rules,
practices, differentials, inequalities,
and all other pertinent matters
affecting or appertaining to the ma
tional bituminous coal industry"
"A AiCCelAlS VI GIic UNI w FOllCy
Committee has been scheduled for
March IL, and the precise new de-
mands of the soft coal miners will
be worked out at that time. A
spokesman for the miners said Mr..
Lewis was taking time by the fore
lock" by his actions today.
Mr.. Lewis told the Government
agencies that I'VE will continue to
work for the ensuing 80 days"
Contract Expires in 80 Days.
The serving of the reopening
notice on the operators means that
the current coal contract, drafted
last April II after sporadic strikes,
will expire in 80 days. The industry
will have only 20 days to negotiate
a new one with the miners without
running the risk of a strike. mo
contract, no work" is traditional
with the union.
Although they do not know pre-
cisely what Mr.. Lewis new demands
will be, Federal officials, from past
experience, know that the mine lead
er will submit new wage price policy
to its severest test. Besides his de-
sire to get higher pay for the min
ers, they say Mr.. Lewis would like
nothing better than to breach the
new sterilization line since he has
expressed himself strongly against
continuation of price and wage con-
trolls.
Actually, Mr.. Lewis could have re-
opened wage provisions of the con-
tract at any time since last August
10, since that is the date tight war
time wage controls were lifted. For
strategic reasons, he is said to have
waited until the entire agreement
could be reopened.
Cites Contract Provision.
In his letter to Mr.. Van Horn,
the mine leader cited the following
paragraph from the present con-
tract: "At any time after March !,
1916, either party may give 10 days
notice in writing of a desire for
negotiating conference upon the
matters outlined in said notice. The
other party agrees to attend said
conference"
Operations in the hard coal in
dustry, confined largely to Pennsyl-
vania, are not concerned with to-
days actions. The anthracite con-
tract, covering about $4,000 workers,
can be reopened next month, how
ever.
The fact that Mr.. Lewis cited
specifically the dispute over unioni-
Eation of supervisory mine employees
In his notice to the Government,
led Federal officials to believe diff
ferences with the operators this year
will be harder than ever to settle
Several hundred mines were closed
last fall over this issue.
Mr.. Lewis stated that he did not
believe the Smith Connolly Act,
which requires 80 days notice of
strike, applied any longer, but "Nev-
ertheless, since the act still lies
heavily upon the statute books. the
United Mine Workers of America
are DESTROYS of meeting all of its
requirements"
Meanwhile, OPA announced price
increases ranging from 50 to s12 a |
ton for all basic steel products.
carrying out the Governments
promise to the industry to boost
(See MINERS PAGE A-o0