Evening star., 1947-06-29
New Offer Lifts
Long Coal Tieup
Demands Increased
After Lewis Gets
35-Cent Acceptance
STEEL MILLS Cut Back to Save
Slim Stocks of Coal. Page AS.
BY james Y. Newton

EIGSSuI6u DJ btlS SGS6l 1IlQuSLIYs
most of the Nations soft coal op-
orators have offered wage in
crease of 35 cents an hour to
John L. Lewis miners, meeting
the unions full wage-and-hour
demands in an effort to avert
the threatened national coal
walkout, it was learned yester-
day.
The offer, one of unprecedented
size in big industry bargaining
increase of almost 80 per cent in
base pay-has not been accepted by
Mr.. Lewis. He has insisted on full
acceptance of collateral demands
and added some new ones designed
to give his union protection from
penalties of the new Taft-Hartley
labor relations law.
Yet, these latest developments in
the negotiations materially raised
hope that a full-scale coal strike
may be averted entirely or reduced
to brief duration.
Miners Begin Vacation.
The niners-400,0 soft coal
workers, plus $4,000 from the an
thracite fields-began their author
lied 1o-day vacation yesterday. At
noon tomorrow, the Government
will release control of the soft coal
mines which it has operated since
May, 1916.
Unless a new contract is made
with private operators in the mean
time, it is held certain the miners
will observe their mo contract, no
work" policy when the vacation is
over July 5.
Representative of Northern, Mid
western, Western and captive" or
steel-company- owned mines-75 per
cent of the industry-made their
offer to Mr.. Lewis during and after
a secret meeting here. Southern
operators, representing about 25 per
cent of national production. did not
participate and it is held virtually
certain their mines will remain
closed.
GACSl AFAAhS GnA AiEARs
Here is the story of the offer:
| The steel industry has been run~
ming full-tilt for many months now
and, as a result, has been unable
to store sufficient coking coal even to
| last while the miners are vacation
| ing. Because of its favorable oper-
ating position. the industry wished to
avoid a prolonged coal strike at
almost any cost.
! Although they are not members
of the operators negotiating COM
mittee. Benjamin Fairless. presi-
dent of United States Steel Corp.
and George NJ Humphrey, chair
man of the Pittsburgh Consolidation
Coal Co., worlds largest commercial
producer, decided to make the offer
! to Mr.. Lewis.
| They made date with the miners
chief, informing the operators nego-
[ tiating committee of the fact.
/ Charles O'Neill, negotiator for
Northern Appalachian coal interests,
/ and Harry M. Moses, head of
United States Steers coal subsid-
iaries. took part in the meeting with
Mr.. Lewis when the offer was made.
Others Join in Proposal.
Because of the size of the inter-
ests of Mr.. Fairless and Mr.. Humph-
rey, negotiators for other Northern
and Western operators had no alter
na tive but to make the same propo-
sition.
After receiving the wage offer,
which was accompanied by accep-
tance by the operators of the five
cent per ton welfare fund and the
| Federal Mine Safety Code included
! in the Governments contract with
| the miners, Mr.. Lewis announced
that most of his original collateral
! demands would have to be met too.
| Those include an increase to 10
cents per ton in management con-
tributions to the unions health and
welfare fund, time and half pay
for Saturday work and double time
for Sundays as such, regardless OF
whether the rest of the week Is
worked
LII tIlS way VI IitN QtiIldIl0o' INAl
Lewis asked for full safeguards for
the union against penalties pro-
vided in the Taft-Hartley law for
wildcat" strikes. unfair labor
practices, etc. This was to be done
by wording of the contract and un-
derstandings.
Lewis Asks Clause.
Mr.. Lewis, it is understood, asked
that clause be inserted in the
contract to the effect that the
miners will work when willing and
able" A similar provision already
is in the unions agreement with the
anthracite industry, It serves as a
protection against suit or other pen
alties which may result from unau-
thorized strikes.
In arguing his point, Mr.. Lewis
said that the new labor law will
make it difficult for union leaders
to discipline" and maintain control
over the membership.
The operators negotiating COM
mittee will return to Washington
tomorrow night or Tuesday for fur
, g [gNhT nee A EA