United States. National War Labor Board. Files,
1943

Collection Number: 5313

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
Martin P. Catherwood Library
227 Ives Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3183
kheel_center@cornell.edu
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/kheel
Compiled by:
Kheel Center staff
EAD encoding:
Casey S. Westerman, 2005

© 2005 Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
United States. National War Labor Board. Files, 1943
Collection Number:
5313
Creator:
United States. National Labor Relations Board (1942-1945)
Quantity:
2 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Case files.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.
Abstract:
Records of the U.S. National War Labor Board in the matter of the Operators Negotiating Committee, Appalachin Joint Conference, Southern Appalachin Joint Wage Conference and the United Mineworkers of America.
Language:
Collection material in English

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

The Fact Finding Panel was appointed by the National War Labor Board to investigate the dispute which arose when the parties were unable to agree on the terms of a new contract in the spring of 1943. The following were members of the panel: Morris L. Cooke, representing the public, chairman; David B. Robertson, representing labor; and Walter White, representing industry.
Negotiations began on March 10, 1943. The principal demands of the United Mine Workers were: a wage increase of $2 a day, payment for travel time from portal to portal for all underground workers, inclusion of some supervisory personnel, and several minor issues.
No agreement could be reached, and the case was certified to the War Labor Board on April 22, 1943. The panel held its first hearing in Washington D.C. on April 28 at which the Mine Workers refused to appear. The panel was recessed when it learned that the Mine Workers had gone on strike in violation of the no-strike agreement of 1941. On May 1 the Federal Government seized the mines and the miners went back to work. On May 6, the National War Labor Board resumed hearings and issued a report on May 25, which the Mine Workers refused to accept, and struck again. President Roosevelt ordered the miners back to work. On June 7 negotiations for a new contract were resumed and in mid-June the Central Pennsylvania signed an agreement which it later repudiated on pressure from the other operators. On July 21 the Illinois operation signed an agreement which the NWLB refused to approve because it violated the "Little Steel Formula." The mines were returned to the operators on October 1. The miners struck for a third time on November 1, and the mines were again seized by the government, and a contract between the government and the Mine Workers was signed on November 3.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Records of the U.S. National War Labor Board in the matter of the Operators Negotiating Committee, Appalachin Joint Conference, Southern Appalachin Joint Wage Conference and the United Mineworkers of America.
Included are hearing proceedings, reports, and statements of the parties in the dispute.
PROVENANCE

Donation
SUBJECTS

Names:
United States. National Labor Relations Board (1942-1945)
Southern Coal Producers.
United Mineworkers of America.

Subjects:
Arbitration, Industrial -- United States.
Miners -- Labor unions -- United States.
Collective bargaining -- Mining industry -- United States.

Form and Genre Terms:
Records

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
United States. National War Labor Board. Files, 1943. 5313. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.
COLLECTION ARRANGEMENT

Materials arranged by document type.
CONTAINER LIST

Description
Container
I. Inventory.
1. National War Labor Board Panel Hearing; in the case of the Operators Negotiating Committee, Appalachian Joint Conference, and the Southern Appalachian Joint Wage Conference and the United Mine Workers of America. April 28, 1943. 1 volume, 34 pp.
2. National War Labor Board Fact Finding Panel. Hearing with same parties. May 6,7,10,11, 1943. 4 volumes, 624 pp.
3. Public Hearing before the National War Labor Board in the Case of the Bituminous Coal Operators and the United Mine Workers of America. June 10, 1943. 1 volume, 152 pp.
4. Public Hearing before the National War Labor Board in the case of the Illinois Coal Operators Association and the limited Mine Workers of America, District 12, August 3, 1943. 1 volume, 90 pp.
5. Public Hearing before the National War Labor Board, same parties as #4 on Oct. 21,22,23, 1943. 3 volumes, 277 pp.
6. Statistical Data and exhibits. 5 volumes, 280 pp.
II. Reports and statements.
1. National Coal Industry on the Bituminous Coal Industry (1943)
2. Statement of Facts of the Operators Negotiating Committee, Southern Appalachin Joint Wage Conference (1943)
3. Southern Coal Producers Association on the Bituminous Coal Industry
4. National War Labor Board, Division of wage stabilization on wages and related problems in the Bituminous Coal Industry
5. Statement of David Friday, Economic Evidence bearing on the demand of the Bituminous Coal Workers for a General Wage Increase.