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TEXT OF THE NEW WAGE AGREEMENT
FOR THE WESTERN KENTUCKY FIELDS.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 29
LOUISVILLE, KY., March 31, 1905.
The members of the Western Kentucky Coal
Operators' Association and their employes, members
of District No. 23, United Mine Workers of
America, hereby auopt as the agreement for the
year ending March 31, 1906, the following:
PICK MININQ.
Section 1. The price for pick mining for the
year ending March 31, 1906, shall be 78% cents
per ton over the district standard screen (12 ft.
long, 5 ft. wide, 1% inch space between bars, %
inch face). It is distinctly understood that when
any company uses a shaker screen that screens
more than a standard screen, they shall weigh
the coal before it passes over said shaker screen.
It is agreed that the ration of lump coal to minerun
over iy2 inch district standard screen shall
be based on 62 per cent, going into the weigh box,
and this per cent, snail regulate the ration of
lump and run-of-mine coal whenever any change
is made in the price of mining. The mine-run
price shall be 48 8-10 cents per ton, the equivalent
of 62 per cent, of 78% cents per ton, the
price of lump coal. It is understood that coal
shall be mined two and a half feet under ordinary
conditions, and the solid may be shot not more
than an equal amount. In exceptional cases
miners shall mine coal as much as possible.
It is understood that the above prices apply to
all veins that have been recognized as No. 9, or
its equivalent.
Section 2. The price of yardage in entries shall
be $1.19% per yard, but when the entry exceeds
ten feet and is not more than twelve feet, the
price shall be 89 V4 cents per yard, and no yardage
shall be paid in excess of twelve feet. All breakthroughs
shall be paid for at entry prices. Should
the bank boss and the man driving an entry agree
that it is wet, then tne miner shall receive 29 6-10
cents per yard extra.
Section 3. The price of turning rooms shall
be $3.57 per room.
MACHINE MINING.
Section 4. The price for drilling, shooting, loading
and timbering after chain and punch machines
shall be one-half the price of pick mining.
The companies using the chain machine shall pay
such additional price per ton for braddling the
coal, handling the machine cuttings and taking up
the bottom as can be agreed upon by the mines
affected, or have it done by the day.
Section 5. Chain machine runners and helpers
shall be paid at the rate of $4.46% per twentyseven
cuts, under ordinary conditions, divided
$2.36% to the runner and $2.10 to the helper, and
when they work by the day, the runner shall re­
ceive 29 6-10 cents per hour, and the helper 26 Vi
cents per hour. It is understood that fourteen
square feet shall constitute a cut for the five-foot
and the six-foot machines.
There shall be no limit to the number of cuts
made by machine runner and helper for a day's
work.
Punch machine runners shall receive 29 6-10
cents per hour, and helpers shall receive 22 4-10
cents per hour, when they work by the hour; 11V4
cents per ton of screen coal to the cutter, 6% cents
per ton of screen coal to the helper, when they
work by the ton, or 1 19-100 cents per square foot
to the cutter, and 71-100 cents to the helper.
Section 6. Yardage for chain machines shall
be 59 9-10 cents per yard for three runs, to be
divided as follows: 42 cents to the loader, 9%.
cents to the cutter, 8 4-10 cents to the helper,
and it shall be 44 6-10 cents for four runs divided
in the same proportion.
Yardage for punch machines shall be 59 9-10
cents, divided as follows: 31% cents to the loader,
16 8-10 to the cutter and 11 6-10 cents to the helper,
when the entry does not exceed ten feet, and when
the entry exceeds ten feet, but does not exceed
twelve feet, the price shall be 44 6-10 cents, divided
in the same proportion.
No yardage shall be paid by either machine company
when the work is done by the day, nor when
entries are more than four runs wide.
Section 7. Turning rooms in machine mines
shall be paid by the yard, as per Section 6. divided
between loaders, helpers and cutters, when
not working by the day.
Section S. Where a man or a man and a boy
are loading after a machine and not claiming
more than a turn and a half, they shall be entitled
to two or three rooms where practical.
Section 9. The companies shall lay all roads
and timber all bad places not caused by the miner's
own negligence.
Section 10. A square turn shall be kept all
over the mines in rooms and narrow work under
ordinary conditions, but when the operator considers
it necessary for the extra or special development
of his mine to push forward the entries,
he may do so, whether the rest of the mine is
working or not, this work to be distributed among
the men who are competent entry drivers. Half
turn to boys between fourteen and sixteen years
of age.
Section 11. Miners absent from their working
places for three consecutive days, unless through
sickness, in which case they must notify the bank
boss, or by first having obtained the consent of
the superintendent or bank boss, shall forfeit their
working places; and men who do not work regularly,
and who attempt to take advantage of this
section shall be subject to discharge. Any day