Evening star., 1948-07-06
.WaIkout Is On
AT Mines Owned
By Steel Firms
10000 Employed in
Commercial Pits
Also Remain Out
By jones Y. Newton

The soft coal mines OF the
steel industry were shut down
today as John L. Lewis United
Mine Workers held to their mo
contract, no work" tradition, also
closing many commercial pits in
an apparent sympathy" walk
out.
Reports from Pittsburgh showed
at least $4,000 miners idle in the
two leading coal-producing States,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The 10000 men employed in the
captive" mines supply the steel in
dustry, protesting lack of a con-
tract. were joined by about 10000
UNIV members who dig coal sold
on the open market.
The steel industry was hit imme-
diately. The Carnegie-Illinois Steel
Co., United States Steel Corp.
subsidiary, announced in Pittsburgh
the banking of at least eight blast
furnaces and % open hearths. Its
Bessemer output at Youngstown,
Ohio, was cut in half. Soft coal is
converted to coke for fueling the
steel mills.
IA U. S. Steel Mines Shut.
Total coal production in Western
Pennsylvania, which employees $4,000
miners. was only 20 per cent Of nor
NAL. United States Steel reported
as idle all of its IA Pennsylvania
mines, employing 1000 men. Other
big steel companies were similarly
affected.
The Western Pennsylvania Coal
Operators Association said COM
mercial coal production in the
Pittsburgh -Uniontown area was only
third of normal, with 80 pits and
10000 men idle. Commercial oper-
ators who produce coal for sale
signed a contract 10 days ago with
the UNIV and had not been expect
ed to be affected by the new walk
out.
Additional thousands of miners
employed by commercial operators
in West Virginia end Virginia failed
to appear for work today. The
miners, however. apparently. were
just slow in returning from their
Today vacation which ended last
midnight.
Prolong Vacation.
William Blizzard. president of the
UNIV district at Charleston, w. Va,
predicted that 80 per cent of the men
employed at commercial mines would
be at work tomorrow. He said a
ma jority of the 10000 miners in his
district, which includes part of East
ern Kentucky, were already at work
and others were merely prolonging
their vacation for one reason or
another.
The Virginia Coal Operators As
sociation said about II OF its 40
mines were closed. In some in
stances men reported for work, but
the crews were too small to warrant
operation of the pits.
Meanwhile, the National Labor
Relations Board was busy inves-
tigating the steel industry charge
that Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV
committed an unfair labor practice
by insisting that employers sign a
contract including the union shop
without going through employe
election machinery prescribed by
the Taft-Hartley Act.
Quick U. S. Action Expected.
NLRB General Counsel Robert N.
Denham may issue complaint
against the union, and follow it up
with a petition for court injunc-
ton which, in effect, would order
Mr.. Lewis to call off the Walkout.
All signs pointed to quick Govern
ment action.
The steel industry. represented by
Harry M. Moses, head of United
States Steel's mines. refused to sign
a new contract with Mr.. Lewis be-
cause of the union shop provision,
although agreeing to the $l-per- day
wage increase and all other parts
OF the contract worked out recently
by the commercial mine operators.
Mr.. Moses followed up that action
by filing at the NLRB regional office
in Baltimore, through Attorney
John C. Gall, the charge that the
contract signed by two-thirds of the
coal industry violates the Taft
Hartley Act.
Under the union shop a nom
(See COAL, Page A-3D