Evening star., 1948-05-02


On the surface, all he won fol
fve-week strike is a tentative pan ,
PENSIONS plan of doubtful validit,
mine. owners are already in court, G
But, going deeper, it is obvious
warmup preparation for the main
Lewis show TO come. That will
center around renewal of the btu
minous coal industry contract. The
present contract expires June 80.
Mr.. Lewis has asked operators
for negotiating meeting on the
contract May l8.
Just what Mr.. Lewis will demand
for his United Mine Workers this
year probably will not be known
until late in the negotiations, but
on past experience, it will be plenty.
Among other things, he is expected
TO call for a stable wage increase
and at least the doubling Of the
UNIV welfare and retirement fund
take" now 10 cents per ton on all
coal produced.
Industrial Stocks Low
The pension strike, although very
costly to the mine workers and the
country generally, has prepared the
ground for the main show.
Industrial coal stocks are the
lowest in long time 1t will take
months, perhaps q half year, to
build up supplies again. That will
bring pressure from all industry,
especially vital steel, to do business
with Mr.. Lewis once more. Even a
brief strike in July could have
American industry on It's back In
short order.
It's true that Mr.. Lewis and the
UNIV now are hemmed il. court
sntistrike injunction. But, they
were year ago too. Then, right
after the Government released its
mold on the mines, the union came
up with the best contract in its
history.
Last year 1t was the steel industry
that did business with Mr.. Lewis
and then forced the commercial coal
operators TO accept the contract.
The steelmakerS did not want their
mills shut down in a period of lush
profits.
II would seem the same situation
holds true this year, only with lower
coal stocks and, consequently, in
creased pressure.
Employers Standing Firm
Bulwarked by the Taft Hartley
Act. the employers seem determined
10 maintain g ID front against
the demands of e." unions. United
States Steel gee a firm mo" to
Philip Murrars U d Steelworkers
and the other big steel firms followed
suit.
The manufacturers OF automo-
biles and electrical equipment
likewise are putting up firm re-
sistance 10 labor. The big meat
packers have refused to bulge
an inch from their original offer to
the CIO in over six weeks of strike.
1t will be interesting to see what
happens if M Lewis runs into a
similar solid veil. The pressure to
give in to him will be great, because
in coal MI Lewis is dealing in
commodity that cuts into all in
duStrleS.
Government attorneys say the
Taft Hartley injunction against a
strike. issued by Justice T. Alan
Goldsborough, will last beyond the
time the contract expires. 1t is for
80 days. and the lawyers say (and
that point is debatablel the period
started only last Monday. the first
day OF full mine production after the
strike.
They are doubtful. however, that
the injunction covering the dispute
and strike over the specific issue of
pensions for miners could be held to
apply to a dispute over a new con-
tract.
The Government, Of course, prob
ably could get another injunction.
1t would be based on the threat to
the national welfare posed by the
probability OF no contract in the
coal industry after June 30.
Enforcement of a second injunc-
ton might be another thing, though
When the contract expires the
100000 coal diggers will be in the
middle of their annual vacation
Suppose they don't report for work
afterward?
No Contract, No Work
If there is no contract. the miners
will not need a wink" from Mr..
Lewis to stay away. mo contract.
no work" is tradition with them.
The question for the court to de-
eide would be how the miners could
be forced to work when there is no
contractural obligation on them TO
do so.
Justice Goldsborough. in convict
Ing Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV of
contempt recently for refusing to
obey an order to call off the pension
strike, propounded what he de-
scribed as new rule of law. 1t was
that union leaders and the union
must be held responsible for the
mass action of their members.
But how could Mr.. Lewis and the
UNIV be held responsible when the
men refuse to work because there Is
no contractural basis for their en-
ployment?
In late 1946 when Mr.. Lewis and
the UNIV were first before the court
for contempt, Justice Goldsborough
Il ~