Evening star., 1946-03-18

Demand Ban on
Wildcat Strikes
4-Point Reply to Lewis
Asserts U. S. Agencies
Foment WoIkouts
By jones Y. Newton

Soft coal operators, charging
the Government with causing
strikes in their industry, today
countered John L. Lewis new
mine contract demands with
proposals for guarantee -
against wildcat strikes" elimina-
tion of pay for lunch periods and
a longer basic work week.
The counter demands were pre-
serted to the National Bituminous
Coal Wage Conference by Charles
ONeill, chairman of the Operators
Negotiating Committee, who also
made the accusation that some Gov
eminent agencies operated solely for
the benefit of organized labor and
provoked coal strikes.
The United Mine Workers and
operators are meeting at the Shore
ham Hotel in an attempt to draft q
new wage agreement.
Four Proposals Made.
Mr.. ONeill put the operators pro-
posals in four categories, as follows:
Cd Suitable guarantee by the in
ternational union against wildcat
strikes and showdown in production.
CD A redefinition of qualifications
for vacation pay.
90 Elimination of pay for lunch
periods.
f4 Substitution of hours for 2
hours and 40 hours for 35 hours at
the point at which overtime pay
ment begins, to conform with the
standard work day week established
by Federal legislation.
These proposals, like the miners
proposals, are all negotiable and
we trust and hope that out of them
all we can work out an agreement"
Mr.. O'Neill said. I'VE wish to ne
gotiate contract"
Pay Raise Question Open.
Despite the fact the operators
asked that the point at which over
time payments begin in the present
mine contract be extended to 40
hours, it did not rule out. spokes-
man said, the possibility that they
might approve an increase in the
base pay of mine workers which Is
now 81 an hour.
A recent statement of the op-
orators said that should studies
show that "the countrys require
ment for coal can be met with a
shortened work day or work week
consideration shall be given to an
adjustment of rates of pay in the
light of the present wage-price
policy of the Government.
Mr.. Lewis charges that the
industry killed and injured thou
sands of miners through neglect and
responsibility we're branded as a
deliberate" effort to make a false
case" for his health and welfare"
fund demands by Mr.. O'Neill.
Mr.. ONeill said that more
mine strikes had been caused since
l941 by the operation of certain
governmental agencies than by any
other reason. He said the Govern
ment had operated as though it was
custodian of union interests" alone.
Hits Supervisor Ruling.
Mr.. ONeill declared that a recent
National Labor Relations Board rul-
ing that mine supervisory employees
were free to join Mr.. Lewis United
Mine Workers "conceivably could
cause another Nationwide strike"
While he did not mention the NLRB
by name, it was clear that he re-
ferred to that agency.
The operators and miners are at.
tempting to negotiate a new wage
agreement by April /. the date when
MI. Lewis is expected to termi-
nate the present contract. The
union has warned that it would
strike # necessary in support of its
demands for higher wages, union
lzation of supervisory employees and
the health and welfare" fund.
Harry M. Moses of Pittsburgh.
representative in the conference of
captive steel company owned
mines, denied the accusations of Mr..
Lewis that industry neglect of min
ers' health and welfare had been
criminal. He accused Mr.. Lewis of
having attempted deliberately to
create by understandable design a
false case upon which to rest your
royalty or welfare demand upon this
conference"
Mr.. Moses said that "our record
in accident prevention is like most
OF the performances of the industry,
(See MINERS, Page A-5.)