Evening star., 1946-05-19
A Government Deal
With Lewis Seen
Precedent Set in 1943 When Ickes
Made Travel Time Agreement
By James Y. Ne1Dton.

Made Travel Time Agreement
By James Y. Ne,pton.
The cries of administration critics
were loud and long when the late
President Roosevelt after seizing the
Nations soft coal mines late in 1943.
ordered Secretary Ickes to negotiate a
work contract with John L. Lewis
| The complaints of Government
capitulation to Mr.. Lewis, of Federal
! sellout of private interests to the union,
| were even louder when it was revealed
| that Mr.. Ickes had granted the mine
workers partial payment for, time spent
| travelling to and from work within the
mines and reduced their payless lunch
period from half hour to Is minutes.
1t was true that the contract nego-
tiated by MIR. Ickes was for the period
OF Government operation of the mines.
But it was necessary for the private
operators to accept its terms in order
to reclaim their properties. The miners
would not work without it. Northern
Appalachian operators, the "captives"
or steel company interests and those
from the Midwest, did just that some
SIX weeks after Mr.. Ickes closed the
deal 1t was not until six months later
that the Southern operators finally
came around.
Mr.. Lewis greatly expanded the major
gains won from Mr.. Ickes the next
time the mine contract came up for
reneWal-in the spring of last year.
In direct negotiations with the opera
tors he won for his men full travel
time and lunch period pay plus a num-
ber of other important concessions
* ~
The Ickes deal with the miners took
place at time during the war when
our leaders, cognizant of the grave posi-
bllities of enemy development of the use
OF atomic energy, were far from con-
fldent that we would win. and those who
were sure, believed victory would be far
more costly in lives than it turned out
to be.
What will be the reaction this time,
nearly year after the wars end, if the
Government follows the 1943 pattern
takes over the mines and closes a deal
with Mr.. Lewis?
President Truman Is being advised
to take the step. To most of the Federal
officials close to the mine controversy
1t seems the only quick way out of the
coal crisis. And quick way must be
found, for it is obvious that the Nation
when Mr.. Lewis truce ends next Satur-
day.
Many of the operators also feel that
there is nothing that can be done except
Federal seizure and negotiation Quite
I lew, however, still are hopeful that
Congress will perform legislative wing
clipping operation and save them from
the big man with the shaggy eyebrows
, and booming voice. 1t does not seem
now that Congress will act in time to
fulflu their hopes. Even if it does there
Is the chance that the crafty Mr.. Lewis
Will find way to turn an intended pu-
nltlve law to his advantage. He did just
that with the Smith -Connally Act which
highly provoked Congress designed as
a crusher in le43
Strange as it may seem, some of the
most influential operators believe that
the Government could make asdeal with
Mr.. Lewis that would be less costly to
the industry in the end than they them
selves could make. The big union leader
has been Just that tough this year. Then.
in Government-negot agreement.
there would he hef ,l,a sc
a good break on price increases from
OPA. That's factor. too.
Even the owners who see Federal seiz-
ure as the only way out of the crisis
say, however, that they would scrutinize
any Federal contract very closely before
accepting it for their own.
How would Mr.. Lewis react to Govern
ment seizure and negotiation? There
would have to be assurance that the
miners would remain on the job before
such step is taken and a good bit of
! sounding out on the subject already has
taken place.
Some sources close to the miners be-
lieve Mr.. Lewis would insist that
Government contract be drafted before
he would call off the strike entirely.
They hasten to say, however, that agree
ment could be worked out in "a hours
If Mr.. Lewis dickered with a reasonable
/ person instead of the "hard-headed"
operators. 1t is considered a good bet
that he would at least extend the truce
If the decision is made by President
Truman to take over the mines and
designate some one to talk turkey with
the union
The negotiating task of Mr.. Ickes in
l943 was like falling off of log COM
pared with the job confronting what
ever Federal agent who might be selected
this year The main point of dispute in
l943-the portal-to-portal or travel-time
pay issue-was tough, but 1t seems SIM
pie when lined up against some of the
highly controversial problems involved
In this years contract battle
Wages and hours have been unim-
portant issues this time, at least so far.
There has been no serious discussion of
the questions in more than two months
of so-called negotiations.
The toughest nut to crack has been
the Lewis demand for an operator
supported, nion-directed health and
welfare fund. Not far behind in the
category of headaches are the demands
that findings of Federal Bureau of Mines
inspectors be adhered to by the opera
tors and for the unionization of all
supervisory and clerical mine employees
except six men to each work shift