Evening star., 1952-08-05
Lewis Serves
Contract Notice;
Strike Feared
New Gripping Blow
To Steel Output Seen
IfMiners Walk Out
BY the Assoeiuted Press


The specter of another indus.
ltry-throttling strike before the
steel mills have had a chance tc
get back to full blast production
arose today as John L. Lewis
served notice that his United Mine
Workers contracts are ending next
month.
Mr.. Lewis wrote Joseph E
Moody, president of the Southern
Coal Producers Association, thai
the present work contract will ex-
|pire September 80.
That's 60 days from the date or
Mr.. Lewis letter. Terms of the
existing contract provide termi-
nation upon 60 days notice by
either side.
The notice to Mr.. Moody, fol-
lowing by 10 days similar word to
the Bituminous Coal Operators
Association, is certain to mean
a shutdown of all but a small por-
ton OF soft coal mining the end
OF next month unless Mr.. Lewis
Mr.. Moody and Harry M. Moses
agree on new contract terms.
Contract Notice Served.
Mr.. Moses heads the Bituminous
Operators Association, represent.
ing an estimated 240 million tons
OF annual production, much of II
owned by the steel industry. The
Moody group produces around 1OC
million tons a year.
Mr.. Lewis, it also was learned
yesterday, has served contract ter
mlnation notice on the anthracite
or hard coal industry, which en-
ploys 100000 miners. The bitumi-
nous diggers number 100000.
Still not a party to the series of
recent Lewis letters are operators
in Indiana and the Far West. with
an estimated 40 to so million tons
"a year and q scattering of soft
coal producers in a dozen other
States.
In the last 10 years or more, Mr.,
Lewis and the soft coal operators
have reached a contract agreement
without strike or showdown only
|once-in 1851.
Entitled to Increase.
The 1851 agreement, which was
signed January 10 and boosted
miners daily wages $1.6O, was in
fiuenced by knowledge that the
Government was about ready tc
slap a wage freeze on the Nation
That freeze came q week later but
because the 1851 agreement al
ready had been signed Mr.. Lewis
is now entitled to a minimum of
10 or II cents an hour wage boost
for all his bituminous miners to
compensate for cost-of-living in
creases since January rs. 1851.
A soft coal industry official said
there is little likelihood of any
full-scale bargaining talks for sew
eral weeks.
The Board of Directors Of the
Southern producers meets ir
White Sulphur Springs, w. Va.
August II. That conference may
play a significant role in estab-
fishing the pattern of negotiations
and in shaping the industry's atti-
tude toward Mr.. Lewis expected
demands.
The coal industry as a whole Is
said to be in a depressed economic
position. Exports have not lived
up to hopes, the steel strike has
weakened demand and the present
soft coal stockpile has reached an
S4-day supply, one Of the highest
ever.
Hopes to Match Steel.
But Mr.. Lewis is considered like
ly to demand a wage increase at
least the size of that won by Philip
Murray's CIO steelworkers last
month-21 cents an hour. In ad-
dition to his t-of-living allow
ance, he is expected to cite greatly
increased productivity, or output
per man hour. in the soft coal in
dustry.
Hard coal negotiations show a
more peaceful past record than
those in the bituminous industry.
Basic daily minimum wage in
the bituminous fields is $16.35, plus
overtime or other extras which
bring the average close to $18 q
day. Anthracite workers average
a little over SIT a day.