| Show Illinois Coal Wage Agreement I Offers Test of W L B Power WASHINGTON July 22 UP UPA A A A contract between the United Mine MineWorkers MineWorkers MineWorkers Workers U M W and Illinois bi bituminous bituminous bi bi- coal operators possibly a wedge for final settlement of the prolonged coal wage controversy controversy contro contro- versy offered the war labor board Thursday its first opportunity to test Its new powers of Providing for a 48 hour 48 hour week and wage increases of about 3 a day for union of the Illinois Coal Operators' Operators association association association as as- the agreement Is contingent contingent contingent con con- on W L B approval and I Ian an 0 O P A authorization for in increases increases in in- creases in coal prices to offset the I higher production costs There was no indication how the contract would be received by the W L B which previously had rejected to portal-to-portal nonproductive nonproductive nonproductive pro non travel time pay for min- min ers Expect W L B n Hearings It was expected however that the board would order hearings to to ascertain the basis on which the daily to portal-to-portal pay in inthe inthe inthe the new agreement was arrived at Such hearings board spokesmen said naturally would require the attendance of President John L L. Lewis of ot the U M W. W He has ignored the W L B consistently and refused several times to appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear before it The recently-enacted recently Smith- Smith Connally law contains a clause use authorizing the board to issue sub subS penas for witnesses The joint announcement by U M W district 12 and the Illinois operators stated that the operators operators operators oper oper- had sent to the W L B a signed copy of the new contract It U did not carry Lewis' Lewis signature Establishing Precedent Union spokesmen said sald that its Us approval by the W L B would in all probability lead to signing of similar similar sim aim ilar liar contracts with other districts in the entire bituminous field in which mines are operating under government direction and without contracts The year two-year pact with the Il Illinois Illinois Illinois Il- Il operators was made retroactive retro active to April 1 In addition to outlawing strikes for the period and giving portal- portal to-portal to pay it lengthens the usual U M W seven-hour seven work workday workday workday day and hour 35 week to 48 hours at the rate of ot eight hours daily for six days For the eighth hour on each of the first five days and for the entire eight hours on the sixth day the miners would re receive receive receive re- re pay at the rate of time and one On Six-Day Six Schedule dule Many miners now are working a six-day six hour 42 week with time and one-half one for all hours over 35 At their average pay of 1 hourly they receive now 35 in straight pay weekly plus 1050 in overtime A miner working full time under under un un- un der the new agreement would be paid instead of the present weekly by working longer Union spokesmen said the miners miners miner's min min- ers er's normally would work only five days under the new contract unless unless unless un un- un- un less there was an urgent need for increased production The for p to portal pay chief issue in a bitter wage dispute that thrice has resulted in closing the coal pits was based on an estimate of 54 minutes daily as the time spent in nonproductive tive travel The miners sought daily for to portal-to-portal pay a claim they presented present d after their original demands for a flat 2 daily wage boost was rejected |
