Efforts To Avert Coal Miners’ Strike Fail

Northern Advocate, 18 November 1941, Page 5

Efforts To Avert Coal Miners’ Strike Fail

(Rec. 1.30 p.mj NEW YORK, Nov. 17. Virtually all the 25,000 miners in western Pennsylvania obeyed the order to strike. The only outward sign of rebellion by the miners against the strike order was at Rosedale, a mine of the Bethlehem Steel Company, where 65 per cent, of the men scheduled for the first day shift passed the picket lines and went to work. Pickets turned back workers at Youngstown Sheet Tube Company’s mine. The Republic Steel Corporation reported that one blast furnace of their {Birmingham mill had been banked because of the coal strike. The remaining furnaces will have to be banked shortly because the Birmingham mill had only five days’ supply of coal. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mr. Sam Reyburn) said today that the House would be given an opportunity to pass defence strike legislation at the earliest date consistent with proper consideration of the issues. Labour Mutiny The acting-chairman (Mr. Cox), said the House rules committee may “put the lid on” all other legislation until Congress has had an opportunity to act on bills dealing with “this mutiny and insurrection in the ranks of labour.” The President of the United Mine Workers’ Union (Mr. J. L. Lewis), sent a letter to President Roosevelt stating that his union refused to accept the open shop agreement for “captive” coal mines (owned by the steel trust), because it would invalidate other agreements operating throughout the soft coal mining industry. Mr. Lewis said that union executives had no authority to execute an open shop agreement, thereby destroying assets of membership represented by the existing collective bargaining agreements.

Closed Shop Issue Mr. Lewis did not call at the White House as requested by Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Lewis told the policy committee that he blamed the impasse on the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Mr. Eugene Grace), who was the only intransigeant. He declared that “Some day the union shop will be achieved, but this will not come until industrialists and Congressmen understand that the army isn’t going to shoot our people and that soldiers aren’t going to mine coal. “Editors should note that the closed shop is the sole issue in the dispute.” Last minute efforts in Washington to avert the strike of coal miners in the Appalachian district have failed. Pickets at one mine last night turned back workers. At another mine, however, one shift disregarded the strike order and reported for work. Stating that it was ' essential to national defence that coal production be continued without delay, President Roosevelt earlier asked the mine union and the steel company leaders, who conferred with him at the White House, to carry on their negotiations for the settlement of the dispute. The President gave a warning that if legislation became necessary to ensure production of coal Congress without question would pass it.

Roosevelt’s Appeal “The Government will not order, nor will Congress legislate ordering compulsory unionism," he said. “It is true that by agreement in many plants compulsory unionism operates, but this is a result of legal collective bargaining, not of compulsion. “I am asking you to please talk over this problem. If you can’t agree today keep on conferring, and let me have some kind of report on Monday—a report of agreement or at least that you are making progress.” The Secretary for the Interior (Mr. Harold Ickes), in a speech at a meeting of the Committee to defend America by aiding the Allies, said: “It is time the dissidents submerged their opinions to the will of the majority, which not only must rule, but shall rule. “The nation must be prepared to face the possibility that in order to defeat Hitler, we may ourselves have to engage him.” Shots Fired .. Several shots were fired when pickets clashed with small groups of miners returning to work at four Gary mines. The spokesman for the United States Steel Corporation reported that the Pennsylvania mines were operating at about 25 per cent, of normal despite the strike. Representatives of the steel mills, it is reported, told Mr. Roosevelt that they were unable to reach agreement with the miners.

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