coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

i.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 41
OHIO MINERS MAKE DEMAND TO BE PAID ON RUN OF MINE BASIS
AND ASK AN INCREASED WAGE
United Mine Workers of District No. 0 (Ohio)
held their convention early in the fortnight and
the most important action taken was the adoption
of the following report of the scale committee:
We, your Scale Committee, after carefully deliberating
on the matters submitted to use by the
delegates, beg leave to present the following report:
That we demand the following:
1st. That all coal be weighed before screened
and be paid for on the mine-run basis.
2d. A proper readjustment of the machine differential
at the basing point.
3d. A general substantial advance on machine
and pick mining at the basing point.
4th. A proportionate advance on all deadwork,
deficient work and yardage, and that all narrow
work be paid entry price.
5th. All deadwork shall be paid for, and that
we demand and insist that the draw slate of the
No. 8 seam shall be paid for in the same proportion
as other sub-districts, at any cost.
6th. That the mining prices at the basing point
shall be based on machine mining instead of pick
mining prices.
7th. That we demand a uniform day of eight
hours from, bank to bank for all classes of inside
and outside day labor, with half-holiday on Saturday.
Sth. A uniform inside day wage scale with a
proportionate advance with the mining rate.
9th. A unitorm day wage scale for all classes
of outside day labor, with a proportionate advance.
10th. That local irregularities, both as to prices
and conditions, and internal differences shall be
referred to the districts or sub-districts affected
for adjustment.
11th. That we demand wash houses at all mines,
and that they be kept in a sanitary condition by
the coal companies.
12th, That the company lay the road in all
working places.
13th. That all cars be delivered at the face of
all working places.
14th. That where men are required to work
overtime they shall bo paid time and a half and
double time on Sunday.
When the convention opened at Columbus, the
report of the tellers showed that John Moore, of
Columbus, was re-elected president of District No.
6, Other officers for the ensuing year will be:
Lee Hall, Cambridge, vice president; G. W. Savage,
Columbus, secretary-treasurer; A. R. Watkins,
Yorkville, international board member: Joseph
Penman, Congo; Ralph Robson, Tiltonville, and
Thomas Crawford, Pleasant City, auditors; T. C.
Jones, Bergholz; J. H. Chadwell, Brilliant, and
Thomas Smith, Amsterdam, tellers.
In his annual report President Moore recommended
a readjustment of the machine miningscale,
an eight-hour day for firemen, engineers and
others employed outside and around the mines and
a universal half holiday on Saturday.
The Ohio compulsory workmen's compensation
law President Moore characterized as "the most
progressive and important labor legislation enacted
in any state in the Union and will work a
virtual increase in wages for every miner in the
state."
The scale committee named was: C. J. Albasin,
Bridgeport; John Saxton, Lisbon; George Branigan,
Jobs; David Watkins, Buffalo; L. D. Davis,
Oak Hill, and Ben Sampson, Deerfield.
The committee on resolutions was: Percy Tetlow,
Charles Fisher, P. V. Cusac, Jake Kirkendall,
Thomas Edwards and H. A. Danning.
The convention voted down a resolution to suspend
operations April 1, if a new wage scale was
not negotiated by that time.
A resolution was adopted favoring an old age
pension law in Ohio and it also was decided to
co-operate with the Ohio Federation of Labor in
its fight for labor legislation. Action was taken
to place the "check weighmen" of each mine under
the protection of the workmen's compensation law.
These men have not been protected until this
time, because there is usually only one check
weighman at a mine. The mine workers now will
pay the premium for the cheekweighman.
The matter of the selecting the next place of
meeting was left in the hands of the executive
committee.
In closing the session of the convention
President Moore said: I desire to thank the delegates
to this convention for their hearty support
and loyal co-operation in conducting the affairs
of this meeting. In my opinion this is one of
the grandest conventions ever held by the Ohio
mineis. and I assure you it was not only a pleasure,
but I consider it an honor to be permitted to
preside over such a body. I believe your deliberations
have been more progressive and advanced
than ever before. The proceedings of this convention
show that tbe Ohio miners are abreast of
the times and awake to the real situation. I believe
this meeting will go down in the annals of
our history as one of the greatest conventions of
ihe Ohio miners.