Evening star., 1949-05-22
Lewis May Attend
Southern Talks al
BIuefieId "Wednesday
By jones Y. Newton

John L. Lewis annual battle
for higher pay and improved
working conditions for his 400, 900
soft coal miners will begin in
Bluefield. w. Va, Wednesday with
the start of new contract nego-
tiations with Southern coal pro-
ducers.
1t will mark the first time in
q number Of years that bitumi-
nous wage talks have been held
outside of Washington. 1t is also
the first time in some years that
all of the Nations coal operators
have not been represented at the
start of contract negotiations.
The Southern operators, rep
resented by the Southern Coal
Producers Association, asked for
separate talks this year and Mr..
Lewis agreed, although it ap-
peared he did so with tongue in
cheek. He suggested Bluef1eld
as a site. Although the city is
a major center of coal produc-
ton, it's choice for the talks
caused speculation as to whether
Mr.. Lewis would choose so re-
mote spot for one of his major
performances.
Apparently Mr.. Lewis will take
part In the negotiations although
he has made no announcement
on that point. But he has re-
served hotel room and there
are other indications that he will
attend at least the beginning OF
the talks with the Southerners.
Arrangements have not been
made for new contract negotla-
tions with any other segment OF
the soft coal industry. Mr.. Lewis
has suggested a conference with
the United States Steel Corp,
one of the big producers OF coal.
The present contract with all
coal operators, including the
Southerners. expires June 80. OBJ
ject of the Bluef1eld meeting will
be to draft new agreement be-
fore that deadline, for the miners
traditionally do not work without
q contract.
Just what Mr.. Lewis contract
demands will be this year have
not been made public. 1t has
been indicated, largely through
actions of various parts OF the
United Mine Workers. that he will
ask for an increase in the miners
welfare and retirement fund, now
supported through payment by
the operators Of 20 cents per ton
on all coal produced; a shorter
work week and an increase in
pay.
The average miner now receives
$14.O5 for an eight-hour day based
on a five-day week. When allow
ances are made for lunch and
travel within the pits, the miner
actually puts in 32h hours week
of productive time, or S12 hours
day. ~ ---@5'
1t is expected that one of the
Lewis demands will be Tor a seven
hour day and a 35-hour week.
That would reduce production
time to 2712 hours week.
UNIV officials also have done
great deal of talking about ways
Of spreading dwindling work. in
the mine among all of the miners.
One way of doing it would be to
reduce the working time. But
there have been discussion about
actually controlling the production
in each mine as a way of divid-
ing work. Opponents argue that
an agreement to that effect be-
tween the miners and operators
would violate antitrust laws.
The demand for coal has
shrunk in the past year. There
have been marked signs that the
industry is entering period of
recession. Because of that the
operators are expected to resist
more firmly than usual the de-
mands of the mine workers.
Operators and Government la
Dor officials alike have expressed
fear that the efforts to draft a
new coal contract this year may
result in a long and bitter strug-
gle. probably accompanied by
strikes.
About third of the country's
total soft coal production will be
represented in the Bluefield nego-
tiations. The Southern Associa-
tion, headed by Joseph E. Moody.
represent coal producers of
Southern West Virginia. Virginia.
Kentucky and Tennessee. While
not holding membership in the
association, Alabama operators
usually get Mr.. Moodys organiza-
tiOy1 tn ronrnsept thep