Evening star., 1953-07-19
By jones Y. Newton

by jones I. newton
John L. Lewis is hard up
against a decision of whether or
not to fight for higher wages and
other benefits for his United
Mine Workers with a coal in
dustry in the throes of a de-
preston second only in severity
to the dark days of the 1930s.
Mr.. Lewis may give the answer
around August /. The UNIV
and the soft coal operators cur
rently are working under a one
year contract which can be
terminated by either party on
September 80. The law requires
60-day notice of such action.
Normally. there would be no
doubt as to what Mr.. Lewis
answer would be. Ever since
some years before World War II
he has availed himself of every
contract expiration or reopener
to hammer out gains in wages
and working conditions for his
miners And he is accustomed
to winning. often after all-out
battles with the operators, larger
concessions than other union
chiefs were able to get for their
people.
He Easily Could Lose.
But this year the problem is
unlike anything the 73-year-old
Lewis has faced in nearly 20
years. If he decides to make a
fight. he will be in the battle of
his life. 1t is one he easily could
lose.
There is wide rumor and spe-
culation in the coal industry as
to what Mr.. Lewis will do. It is,
however, all rumor and specula-
ton. He has given no inkling
Of his plans. At the moment he
is vacationing in the West. But
he wouldn't have to return to his
Washington Office to serve no
tices of contract termination and
negotiations for a new one on
the mine owners.
Many coal industry leaders be-
lieve Mr.. Lewis will make no new
contract demands this year
They expect him to let the con-
tract termination date slide by
and perhaps await a time when
the economics of coal mining
are more favorable. In that
event, he may have to wait a
long time, for even the optimis-
tic operators are battening down
for long stay in the economic
doldrums.
TwO-Sided Squeeze.
Mr. Lewis always has been un-
predictable. And in therpast he
has come through with a victory
when it seemed likely he would
fail. A year ago business was
bad for the mine operators. Yet
Mr.. Lewis won for his men a
record-size wage increase Of
$1.90 a day, plus 10 cents per
ton more royalty" for the min
aers' welfare fund.
But this year the UNIV and
the coal operators with whom
] the union deals are squeezed
from two sides The overall
market demand for coal is lower
than last year and lower, in
fact, than it has been since the
great depression. On top of
that. non-union operations have
grown steadily, taking up an
ever-increasing part of the mar
ket.
The threat of non-union coal
to the well-being Of the United
Mine Workers is as great as that
posed by the general state Of
depression of the industry. The
non-union threat was born Of
this depression and the uneven
competition between coal and
other fuels like oil and gas for
the Nations markets.
Nom Union People Better Of.
Non-union operators are in a
much better competitive position.
Unlike the UNIV operators, they
don't have to pay 40 cents a ton
into the unions welfare fund,
and generally. they don't pay as
high wage scale.
Harry M. Moses, president of
the Bituminous Coal Operators
Association, whose members are
under contract to the UNIV, has
this to say about the non-union
situation.
I'VE now have the anomaly of
large producer consumers. Of
coal, with massive investments
in the coal business, being able
to buy sizeable portion of their
needed coal supplies cheaper
than they can produce it in their
own mines"
And Mr.. Moses indirectly warns
MIR. Lewis on any new contract
ambitions he may have.
while there still is not enough