Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-01-28
u. 5. Hopes Revival
OF Coal Talks Will
End Wildcat Strikes
By james Y. Newton

by james ]. newton
Federal officials were hopeful to-
day that $4,000 striking United
Mine Workers would return to
work next week as a result of the
revival of contract negotiations
between John L. Lewis and the
country's biggest group of coal
operators.
The Northern and Western mine
owners and Mr.. Lewis agreed to
resume contract talks here next
Wednesday at 2 pm. More than
half of the Nations soft coal ton
mage will be represented in the
conference. Major groups not in
cluded in the bargaining are the
Southern and steel company oper-
atorS.
There has been some talk that
Mr.. Lewis would order the wild
cat" strikers back to their Jobs.
But the Federal labor officials
conceded that so far there has
been no direct indication from
UNIV headquarters that he would
do so. However. most officials
believed that the union chief still
had control of the miners and that
he could end the strike by using
firm measures.
Lewis Talks to Officers.
Most of the strikes are concern
trated in Western Pennsylvania
and Northern West Virginia. Mr..
Lewis called in officers of the
UMW's Western Pennsylvania dis
trict for a talk this week. The
move was interpreted as a crack
down on the officers to end the
strike.
However, presidents of several
locals at Uniontown, Pa, said they
expect the walkout to continue
Monday.
The mine operators who first
attached numerous conditions to
a resumption of new contract
talks, made no mention of them
yesterday in agreeing finally to
meet the UNIV officers. Mr..
Lewis had insisted that the bar.
gaining should start without adj
vance commitment" The dis
putants attempted numerous times
to reach agreement on a new
pact after the old contract ex-
pired last June 80. The operators
finally walked out of the negotia-
tions during the UMW's 52-day
strike last fall.
Court Hearing Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning Judge
Richmond B. Keech of District
Court is scheduled to hear a Ma
tional Labor Relations Board PEE
tition for an injunction to end
the UMW's three-day workweek
and strikes. The injunction was
asked by all of the operators.
They charge that Mr.. Lewis has
limited production in an effort to
force them into signing an illegal
contract.
NLRB General Counsel Robert
N. Denham said he is opposed to
postponing the ocurt action to see
what happens at the meetings.
The judge himself might decide
to put the hearing off for a cou-
pie of weeks because of the COM
plant made by the coal operators
that Mr.. Lewis has not bargained
in good faith since negotiations
began last spring. 8.
There was plenty of skepticism
about how far the Wednesday
talks will get. Senator Donnell,
Republican. of Missouri remarked
that There is very great uncer-
tainty as to when, If at all, the
negotiations will result in a set
tlement."
Senator Donnell and other Re-
publicans failed yesterday in their
efforts to force action on a reso-
luton calling on President Tru-
man to use the injunction
authority of the Taft Hartley Act
against Mr.. Lewis.
The President told his news
conference yesterday he had no
comment on when he might act
in the mounting coal crisis.
Mr.. Truman added that he has
read very carefully a report by
DR.. James Boyd, director of the
Bureau OF Mines. DR.. Boyd told a
Senate committee he had informed
the President that an emergency
soon will confront the Nation
unless full coal production is
restored.
Mr.. Truman has refused to seek
a Taft-Hartley Act injunction
against Mr.. Lewis thus far on
grounds that the required ma
tional emergency does not yet
exist.
In that connection, Col. ]. Mon
roe johnson, chairman of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
said the fuel supply available to
coal-burning railroads has i'm
proved somewhat since their pas
senger service was cut one-third.
and that no new slash is in pros
pect Immediately.