Evening star., 1950-02-02
Coal
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lowing mo contract policy" and
said that there was q conspiracy
in financial circles to smash his
union.
Conditions Outlined.
Mr.. Love said that the miners
had refused to accept some condi-
tions which the operators say are
designed to return the control of
coal production to the mine own
ers. He outlined the conditions
as follows:
/. That a clause be eliminated
from the new contract which says
the miners will work only when
willing and able" Mr.. Lewis
has used that provision to envoke
the three-day week and strikes.
2. That benefits from the UNIV
welfare and retirement fund be
limited to employees of companies
which contribute to the fund.
3. That the union-sho clause,
which the operators hold is il
legal, be dropped from the con-
tract.
4. That there should be moth
ing in new contract which
would tend to increase the cost
of coal.
May Order Miners Back.
There were hints earlier that
Mr.. Lewis may order the 100000
"rebellious" miners back to work
Monday on the three-day week in
the hope that 1t would prevent
the use of a Taft Hartley emer-
gency injunction.
Industry sources said that Mr..
Lewis was as unyielding as ever
on his contract demands at yes
terday's first negotiating session.
He used strong words to inform
the operators that his position
was unchanged and that he would
never give up contract clauses
which the producers say enable
him to control their production.
Operators Adamant.
The operators were equally
adamant that before such eco
nc8ic contract issues as wages
hours and welfare fund payments
can be discussed. control of the
mine properties must be returned
to them.
BY way of economic demands,
Mr.. Lewis wants a 95-cents-a-day
wage increase and an increase of
Is cents a ton in operator pay
ments to the UNIV Welfare and
Retirement Fund. The present
fund take" is 20 cents per ton.
But there was no discussion of
those issues at the bargaining
session.
AS they resumed negotiations,
attorneys for the union and the
National Labor Relations Board
battled in court over the operators
complaint that MIR. Lewis Is guilty
of unfair labor practices, and
should be restrained from using
the three-day week.
Judge Richmond B. Keech
heard the arguments, then indi-
Gated that he would have no de-
cision on the injunction plea be-
fore next week. He allowed UNIV
Counsel Welly K. Hopkins until
Monday at 4 pm. to submit some
legal citations to back up his op-
position to the Injunction.
NLRB Cites Four Points.
The NLRB asked that Mr.. Lewis
and the UNIV be required Cd to
call off the three-day week which
MIR. Lewis ordered during the
negotiations (2) to bargain with
the operators in good faith 90 to
drop the contract clause under
which UNIV men work only when
willing and able" and "a to give
up demands that only UNIV mem.
bers shall receive welfare benefits
Mr.. Hopkins advanced the
theory that it is the operators and
not the UNIV who have been fail
Ing to bargain In good faith.
He told the court of the new
bargaining conference and said
Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV "have
stood ready and willing at all
times to negotiate in good faith.
He declared that, in every case
since the old contract ran out, il
was the operators and not the
union who broke off negotiations
Directly on the point of the
NLRB charge that the welfare
fund as set up discriminates
against on-members of the UNIV
Mr.. Hopkins told Judge Keecf
that Ezra Van Horn, former EN-.