Six weeks ago the U. S. Coal (Fact Finding) Commission made public its report. This has been followed by a supplementary report dealing especially with the labor problem in the anthracite fields. The Commission recommends that:
1) All future agreements between miners and operators shall automatically be renewed unless one party proposes amendments 90 days in advance.
2) In that event, if a new agreement has not been reached within 60 days before the old agreement expires, the President of the United States shall be notified.
3) The President shall then order an official investigation and publish the facts brought out.
The History of Strikes. There were large strikes in 1887, 1900, 1902, 1906, 1912,1920, 1922. The strike of 1902, in which President Roosevelt intervened, was followed by the award of the “Anthracite Coal Strike Commission” which has been used as a basis for all negotiations between operators and miners ever since.
Organization of the Miners. The main organization is the United Mine Workers of America whose headquarters are in Indianapolis. Under this organization are “Districts,” of which Numbers 1, 7 and 9 cover the anthracite fields. Under the Districts are “Subdistricts,” and under these “Colliery Locals.” District 7, containing about 13% of the anthracite miners, is supposedly completely unionized. District 9, containing about 31% of the anthracite miners, has recently been almost completely unionized. District 1, containing 56% of the anthracite miners, is a little more than half unionized.
Organization of the Operators. The operators have no permanent organization for dealing with the union, which, in the opinion of the Commission, is detrimental to the industry. When wage agreements are negotiated a General Policies Committee represents the operators. But otherwise companies deal individually with local unions. The result is much difference in the attitudes of various operators in dealing with the actual application of the agreement. The policies of the operators are of many shades, from the one extreme (“peace-at-any-price” group) to the other extreme (“get-away-with-what-ever-you-can” group).