| Show Lewis Lwis Defers Meet To Ratify Contract WASHINGTON v July 5 UP R jp I JohnL ohn L. L Lewis Lewia Saturday postponed until Sunday a meeting of his ZOO ZOO- member policy committee to ratify a new contract with northern soft coal oal operators I We simply ha haven't got the tho language language lan Ian guage of at the agreement worked out ut yet a United Mine Workers official said Southern coal caal operators it was learned earned meanwhile have made mode five unsuccessful efforts to reach Lewis and learn the exact provisIons provisions pro- pro visIons of at the northern contract which will permit reopening of more than northern diggings on n Tuesday when the miners miners' 10 day ay vacation ends The Southern Coal Producers Producers' Azan held a brief briet separate meet meet- lag ng but quickly recessed when they hey found themselves unable to learn earn the term to which the northern comp companies were sub aub scribing Still to tobe be heard from were were weste western west west- e ern em and midwestern producers However the Illinois Coal Cool Operators Operators' Opera Opera- to tors' tors announced it expects to settle with the UM W. W The proposed contract gives the John L. L Lewis union a a 44 4 cent basic hourly wage wage boost For the public the contract means a new price boost in coal U f W officials guessed it at 67 cents some somo operators said up to 1 si and in some ome mines perhaps more During the past 10 days of se secret secret se- se cret negotiations negotiations-In in which United States Steel corporation and other owning mine steel firms firma have collaborated collaborated col col- col- col with the northern operators opera opera- tors the tors-the the southerners have been out of touch with events They split with the northern group in last winters winter coal crisis and lately some members member reported have been See Page raCe 2 Z Column A 4 COAL PACT Continued from Page One getting jetting most of their Information from the newspapers Nothing has been decided said Walter Valter Thurmond secretary of the southern association tion after the three-hour three conference of 20 association association asso asso- clation members Friday We Ve are waiting for or more information With the decision whether to fight or yield still to be made and the deadline drawing nearer the possibility increased that southern mines might b tied up Tuesday when coal di digging coal resumes re re resumes e elsewhere Federal labor officials said they saw no prospect in the light of ofU ofU U M Id Ws Wg past bargaining p policy that Lewis would grant more fa favorable favorable fa- fa a- a terms to the southern operators operators operators op op- op- op than the northern contin contin- gent On the major issues the terms are these A 1305 basic wage for eight hours including walking time This figures out at an hour compared to the old basic rate of The old working day I was nine hours of which two and anda a half commanded overtime pay A cent 10 a ton levy on each ton tOll of coal mined instead of the present 5 cents to support the theU theU theU U M MV W welfare fund Acceptance of the federal mine safety code as a standard condition condition condition condi condi- tion of work There was uncertainty however about the phrasing of certain other important Lewis demands including including including ing protection from penalty terms of ot the Taft-Hartley Taft act and a clause specifying that the miners will work when willing and able Lewis was reported to have abandoned his Insistence on six paid holidays a year and additional overtime pay for Saturday and Sund Sunday y work |
