Evening star., 1949-08-14
Uneasy Mine Truce
Continues; Both Sides
Avoid Any Change
By the Asseeiaied Press

WHITE SULPHUR SHR1N1O,
W. Va, Aug. 13.-The soft coal
wage contract expires. beyond all
question, tomorrow. But there is
no sign that it will disturb an
uneasy truce existing in the BIZ
luminous fields.
All indications are that a John
L. Lewis-imposed three-day work
week will continue as long as the
United Mine Worker chief wishes
1t to, and that the mine owners
will continue to operate as long as
men are available.
The picture of union miners
working without a contract is only
one aspect of a confusing pattern
of negotiation and maneuver be-
tween the mine union and three
separate groups of operators.
Mr.. Lewis or his representatives
have been negotiating with the
Southern Coal Producers Associa-
ton. representing about 100000
tons of annual production, since
May IS. Those talks have taken
place at Bluef1eld, w. Va.
Wage Demands Awaited.
Since June 13, the union has
been dickering with the H. c..
Prick Coal Co., which produces
coal for the exclusive use of United
States Steel furnaces.
Talks with Northern and West
ern operators. representing some
300,000,000 tons, at this noun
tain resort have been in progress,
off and on, since June %. Re
Gently, the talks involving the steel
eompany's captive" mines have
taken place here. too.
All the conferences have been
sporadic, with more time spent in
recess than in actual bargaining.
And Mr.. Lewis has yet to state, in
more than general terms, his de-
mands.
He has made known, however,
that he wants pay increase, a
shorter work day. and an increase
In the 20-cents-a-ton royalty the
mine owners pay into the miners
welfare fund.
The North-We operators on
two occasions have offered to re-
new the current contract, I'M
changed, for another 20 months.
The union said no.
Coal Production Reduced.
The August IA termination date
of the old contract is the opera
tors version. They say that be-
cause Mr.. Lewis did not notify
them that he wished to talk con-
tract until June IA, that the pact
must remain in effect for go more
days under the Taft Hartley law
The union says the old pact
terminated automatically on June
30.
Ordinarily. the miners would
have refused to return to work
last July 5, at the end of their
annual vacation, under their mo
contract, no work" policy.
But Mr.. Lewis was faced with a
huge stockpile of coal above the
ground and the loss of revenue
for his welfare fund in event of
strike. So he sought the operators
agreement to a three-day week
while negotiations continued.
The operators rejected the pro-
posal, and Mr.. Lewis put the
three-day work week into effect
anyway, simply by telling his
miners that they wouldn't be
available for work any more than
that.
How much effect the shortened
work week has had on stockpiles
has not been estimated. In three
days last week, soft coal produc-
ton was estimated at 100000
tons. In the corresponding full
week of 1948, more than l2,000,-
900 tons were produced.
Currently, the conferences with
Northern and Western operators
and the steel company mines are
in recess until August %. Those
with the Southern Association un-
til August Is, although the Latter
date may also be moved to Au-
gust %.