COAL DISPUTE IN U.S.

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23971, 11 June 1943, Page 5

COAL DISPUTE IN U.S.

STEP BY SECTION OF MINE OPERATORS SEPARATE AGREEMENT REACHED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jun« 19. Breaking away from the northern mine operators, the Central Pennsyl* vanian Coal Producers’ Association has reached a separate agreement with the United Mine Workers of America, ending a dispute which has continued for months. The terms of the agreement. which is being submitted to the War Labour Board for approval, have not been released, but Mr Charles O’Neill, for the owners, said that it covered all the points submitted to collective bargaining and complied with the Labour Board’s directives. Mr John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers, said: "It is a constructive solution for the whole problem. The same terms have been submitted to the other operators. -I have no doubt they will be acceptefl, unless there is political or financial interference.” The agreement covers 85,000 miners, more than a tenth of all the minW? in the United States. Both the United Press, and the Associated Press of America hail tne agreement as a victory for Mr Lewis, “cracking the operators' solid front. An earlier report said that the war Labour Board had called a public meeting for to-day to discuss the deadlock in the soft coal miners’ wage dtsP The board notified the and the United Mine Workers that- it would be ready to receive reports on the disputed issues, so that it could proceed to a final disposition of tne controversy. . . The Associated Press of America points out that Mr John L. Lewis. J”** sident of the United Mine Workew, has so far consistently refused to recognise the board’s jurisdiction, lor which reason it is Questionable whether the United Mina WorkeM will attend the meeting.