Evening star., 1949-04-24
UNIV Leaders 70 Map
Strategy for New
Contract Tomorrow
By Jones Y. Newton

The 200-member policy COM
mtttee OF John L. Lewis United
Mine Workers meets here tomor-
roy to map strategy for forth
coming new contract negotiations
with the Nations soft coal oper-
atsrs.
After the meeting, Mr.. Lewis is
expected to serve formal notice on
the operators of the reopening of
the contract and suggest a date
for beginning negotiations.
The policy committee viii go
over with Mr.. Lewis the demands
to be made on the mine owners
this year. These are expected to
include an increase in the UNIV
welfare and retirement fund. a
shorter work week and probably
other means of spreading employ
nent among the, miners.
Creel Named UNIV Adviser.
George Creel, author and chief
Of public information in World
War I. yesterday was named CON
sultant and adviser" TO the UNIV
welfare and retirement fund.
Mr.. Creel. longtime friend of
Mr.. Lewis and author of numer-
Gus books and magazine articles,
presumably will handle publicity
for the welfare fund, which may
be center Of controversy in the
forthcoming negotiations.
II the pattern Of other years is
followed, the contract negotia-
tions would begin here In about
two weeks.
Contract talks are expected to
be tougher than usual this year
because the industry apparently
has entered a period of economic
doldrums. The ready market and
lush profits Of war and other post
war years are missing for the op-
orators this time. The incentive
to settle with Mr.. Lewis on his
terms will not be present.
Long, Bitter Battle Predicted.
Some industry sources are pre-
dieting q long and bitter battle,
probably interspersed with strikes,
before an agreement is reached
on q new contract this year.
Three days ago, Joseph E.
Moody, president of the Southern
Coal Producers Association, beat
Mr.. Lewis to the punch and sug-
gested that arrangements "be made
promptly" for negotiations on a
new contract. He pointed out
the present mine contract will
expire June 80. 1t carries a
provision whereby it may be re-
opened by either side on 80 days
notice.
sMr. Moody wrote Mr.. Lewis
that higher-priced coal may mean
less work for the miners and
warned that the competitive sit
uation with other fuels is such
that 1t would be very easy to
price coal right out of the market
iii that has not already been
Accomplished" s- 49,
HE pointed sout that labor costs
are unusually high in the coal in
dustry and called for a Chopper
ative attitude on the part Of the
union" so that the competitive
position of coal may be improved.
Lewis Fails to Answer Moody.
Mr.. Lewis did not reply to the
Moody letter.
While some operators appar-
ently will enter contract negotia-
TINS with the idea of cutting la
bor costs, Mr.. Lewis and the union
almost certainly will ask for even
higher benefits.
Mr.. Lewis has indicated that
the present welfare and retire.
r1aent fund is not large enough. It
ID supported by levy of 20 cents
per ton on all coal produced,
which brings in little less than
100000 a year. But there are
indications that the money is
heing spent faster than it is COM
ing in. Any demand for an in
GfeaSe Is sure to meet rough
reception from the operators.
THE miners now work a 40-hour,
rbrtal- -to-portal week which, with
allowances for lunch and travel
within a mine, amounts to about
3ah hours of actual work time a
Week. It Is likely that Mr.. Lewis
Wall demand that five or more
hburs be chopped off the work
week, with no reduction in pay.
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