Evening star., 1949-05-26
Operators Specializing
On Next Step as Lewis
Probes for Weak Spot

w
Probes for Weak Spot
BY james Y. Newton
Star Sseff Correspondent
BLUEFIEID, w. Va. May 26.-
The preliminaries Of new contract
talks between John L. Lewis and
Southern operators were continu-
ing here today with the coal pro-
ducers speculating as to what point
the United Mine Workers chief
would probe next in search Of a
weak part of the industryis armor.
Best information was that Mr..
Lewis was hard put to find the
best part, from the unions stand
point, of the soft coal industry to
deal with first in his efforts to
gain new contract advantages.
Mr.. Lewis is meeting here with
the Southern Coal Producers As
sociation, representing about a
fourth Of the total National out
put Of soft coal.
Steel Talk No Surprise.
The news that Harry M. Moses,
president Of the United States
Steel Corp. coal-producing sub
sidiaries, has agreed to meet Mr..
Lewis In contract talks caused
little surprise. Southern opera
tors expected 1t.
Mr.. Moses announced In Pitts
burgh his reluctant acceptance to
suggestions that the United States
Steel subsidiaries meet with the!
UNIV for new contract talks June
10 or later.
It was pointed out that the
steel industry soon will start new
wage negotiations with the CIO
United Steelworkers, representing
the bulk Of their employees. The
CIO members in past years have
received q contract less favorable
than that received by the mine
workers in the steel. industry's
employ. It was held highly un-
likely that the steel industry
would make a deal with Mr..
Lewis this time as IL did two
years ago.
The wage conference between
the UNIV and the Southern oper-
ators began here yesterday with
Mr.. Lewis on the offensive again.
He demanded proof that the
Southerners represented the coal
tonnage production they claimed.
Mr.. Lewis tossed in the face Of
the Southerners the fact that In
last years contract talks they had
obtained q District Court injunc-
ton to force him to negotiate
with the association. He said that
the only reason he accepted the
Southerners' invitation to negoti-
ate this year was because of the
provision Of the Infamous Taft
Hartley law" which compels
unions and employers to bargain
in good faith under force Of court
orders.
The conference between the
UNIV and. the association, ohekd-
ed by.Joseph e. Moedxs tner 0s
recessed until late today for a
check 6 the credentials Of the
eoutherners. A.
There was not too much hope
among the operators here that a
new contract can be drafted to
replace the present one which ex-
pireg Juns 80. The, UNIV con-
tracehAs The same expiration date
over the country ~,
Mr.. Lewis definitely held over
the conference the threat Of an
early breakup. Whether he will
60 through with 1t probably will
not be determined until late today.
The miners chief was silent ex-
cept to say that he doubted the
Southern producers here repre-
resented the tonnage they have
claimed. He wanted proof OF that
and said he would check their
claims against payments into the
UNIV welfare and retirement
fund-supported by a 20-cent-
per-ton payment on all coal pro-
duced.
Mr.. Lewis was relaxed and even
addressed q meeting Of women's
club yesterday. For a while he
considered attending a baseball
game here last night.
Mr.. Moses, from Pittsburgh,
announced he had received two
letters requesting contract talks
from Mr.. Lewis and had met in
Washington last Saturday with
the UNIV chief. He said he
would meet with Mr.. Lewis be-
cause of the "adamant" position
of the UNIV chief in desiring a
new contract talk.
Operators here said the ex-
change indicated the extreme de-
sire Of Mr.. Lewis to talk new con-
tract with somebody.
U. S. Steel Ready to Meet
With Lewis on Contract
by the Associated Press
PITTSBURGH. May 26.-The
United States Steel Corp. has in
formed John l.. Lewis Of its will
ingness to meet with the United
Mine Workers chieftain to write a
new contract for its captive" coal
mines.
So-called captive mines are those
owned and operated by the steel
corporation in connection with its
steel production.
. In q letter to Mr.. Lewis yester-
day, Harry M. Moses. president OF
the n. G. Frick Coke Co., q United