Evening star., 1946-11-07
Republican Victory
Effect Awaited as
Coal Talks Resume
BY tho Assoeia}sd Pres.

The administration and the
United Mine Workers, both well
aware of strong Republican sup
port for legislative strike curbs,
pitched into the critical coal
situation anew today.
The top questions were:
/. Would the COP election VIC
tory change the Governments plans
for coping with the implied strike
threat by 100000 miners.
Q. Would it make John l.. Lewis
think twice before calling an edge
of-winter walkout by the UNIV to
back up his demands for Govern
ment concessions to the. union.
AS talks continued between Mr..
Lewis aides and Capt. N. H. Col
lisson, coal mines administrator, it
remained to be seen whether the
administration would adopt q
firmer policy toward Mr.. Lewis in
line with earlier Republican pro-
posals to restrict some union activ-
tiles, particularly those relating to
walkouts.
Lewis Standing Pat.
So far the United Mine Workers
chieftain has stood pat on his
challenge to the Government, in
sisting that he has the right to
open the current union Govern
ment pact to seek higher wages and
other changes. Otherwise, he de-
clared, the contract would be. void" "
Some administration lawyers sided
with Mr.. Lewis-at least before the
Ielection-although Secretary of In
terror Krug has steadfastly insisted
that the present agreement covers
the duration of Government opera
ton of the mines, which were seized
last May after a Gripping 59-day
strike
With the Republicans due to take
over control when Congress recon-
venes January 3, the dilemma posed
| by Mr.. Lewis and his miners rose to
paramount Importance in the field
of labor relations.
Some labor leaders freely predicted
an attempt to write stringent strike
control legislation, noting that in
the last session, the Republicans
displayed somewhat more ardor than
the Democrats for such action.
Two Agencies Study Disputes.
At the same time, however, both
AFL and CIO officials said they ex-
pected the COP leadership-with a
weather eye cooked on the 194S presi-
Dental election-to refrain from
antagonizing labor.
Two Government agencies were
occupied with Lewis labor disputes
today:
l. The National Labor Relations
Board tackled the controversy ovel
unionizing mine supervisors. The
case involves foremen at four Jones
& Laughlin Steel Corp. mines in
Pennsylvania. 80
2. The Coal Mines Administra-
ton, in an effort to avert a possible
new coal mines shutdown November
20, kept up its talks over the issue
of higher pay.
Mr.. Lewis himself has not at
tended any OF the conferences with
Capt. Collision, which began last
Friday. The mine leadei s plan for
ending the contract calls for Is days
of negotiation and five more days
of notice before termination No
vember 30. ~---t -,
,a. Krug's Return Awaited. -
The UNIV president has held OF
making his wage demands known
until the return of Secretary Krug
from the West Coast. Mr.. Krug,
who signed the present agreement
with Mr.. Lewis, completed his sched-
uled program of inspections and
speeches last night in Los Angeles.
The NLRB scheduled its hearing
as part of the planned appeal of the
foreman issue to the Supreme Court.
Under provisions of the Krug-Lewis
pact last May, the Government
agreed to abide by NLRB decisions
in disposing of supervisory questions
when they came up.
Mr.. Lewis supervisory workers
union was certified by the board as