The The Daily Register Register VOL.100 NO. 213 SHREWSBURY, N. J. TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 1978 15 CENTS - *T Miners: Taft-Hartley will not work By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS' Some miners and union leaders also said miners would go back only If the government seized the mines — one other op- "It ain't goruia work," said one mine union official An- tion open to Carter and one they felt would put the onus on other called it "slave labor." An Ohio miner was even more mine operators as well as miners succinct as he watched President Carter on television in- "It ain't gonna work," Joe Phipps, president of UMW Dis- voking the Taft Hartley Act. "That does it," he said, and trict 19 in southeastern Kentucky and Tennessee, said of Car- walked out. ter's move. "There's gonna be bloodshed If he tries to force Similar comments were heard across the coalfields yes- the fellows back to the mines." terday as miners heard Carter announce the first moves to "Nobody is going back We want seizure, not Taft." said order them back on the 91st day of Ike United Mine Workers miner Terr>' Hodge near Cabin Creek, W.Va. "Nobody can strike, a day in which even harsher power cutbacks were an- make us do nothing United we stand, divided we fall. We're nounced in the coal short Midwest. going to stand." Carter anmed a panel whose job it will be to recommend Asked why he wanted seizure, Hodge said, "That way we an 80-day, back-to-work order during which new efforts could go to work under the federal government, not the coal oper- be made to negotiate a contract The panel has scheduled a ators ... 1 think they — the miners — will go back under hearing tomorrow and a federal judge could be asked for an that. No way Taft-Hartley." order that same day. Local union leaders generally said they would order their Administration sources also noted miners who violate a mien back underground but most doubted the men would go government order might become ineligible for food stamps And many miners who said they felt they should obey a gov- and that refusal to work could result in fines or Jail sentences ernment order added they would do so only in the absence of for local union leaders picket lines, an unlikely prospect Army staff officers, meanwhile, were reported reviewing Kenneth Carter of Havaco, W.Va., seemed typical of the civil disturbance control plans, but Pentagon officials said men caught between loyalty to their countcv and their union. federal soldiers would be used in the coal strike crisis only as "1 wouldn't want to go against the president or against the a very last resort. government myself," he said. But he added: "I'm almost sure Carter acted after miners from Appalachia to as far west there'll be . trouble. There'll be pickets, and I won't cross a as Oklahoma rejected, by a more than 2-to-l margin, the lat- picket line." est offer from the Bituminous Coal Operators Association At Dilles Bottom, Ohio, 50 miners and union officers WMN watched Carter on television in a classroom of an abandoned BOARD TAKES OATH — Labor Secretary Ray From left are: Marshall; Eva Robins; chairman They had voted over the weekend and Monday. Whether the 166,000 striking miners would return to the schoolhouse used as headquarters for UMW's District 6. They Marshall swears In a board of Inquiry In Washing- John Gentry; Carl A. Warnes; and Federal Media- listened In silence until Carter said he opposed any more lib- ton yesterday named to probe the coal strike. tor Wayne Horvltz, holding Bible. Job under orders was In serious doubt, given the UMW tradi- tion of no-contract, no-work, and the attitude of many miners' eral wage settlement. toward Carter's latest move. Some miners interviewed yes- ."That does it," said one miner who would not give his terday said they would go back, but many more said they name. "1 don't want lo hear any more." He left the room. would not or would wall for local union votes. And in Spangler, Pa., James Tranto, president of UMW UMW President Arnold Miller predicted fewer than half Local 1269, said, "We're not going back under the slave labor the strikers would return to work under Taft Hartley "And of the Tall Hartley Act. We've been out too long." Higher electric bills those that don't go to work will try lo stop those that do," he Taranlo predicted that the higher wages proposed by Car- said. "It's a sticky situation." ter will not entice miners to<return to the mines. Some miners expected violence should any men return to Normally under a Tad-Hartley injunction, strikers return work Chester Newsome, president of Local 8100, which fa- to work under the terms of their expired contract. But Car- vors the contract, said his truck was smashed and overturned ter said Monday that he would "seek to permit any company" Monday near Pikeville, Ky. No police report was made on to offer the wages contained in the rejected contract. facing state residents such an incident, but Newsome said he felt his local's vote That contract called for an Immediate |l an hour Increase provoked the attack in (he miners' $7.80 hourly wage. By MARK MAGYAR Energy. "If the coal strike is said Edwin C. Sherratt, last year lor which figures Higher monthly electric still on, we will order con- JCP1L spokesman. are available, Mr Sherratt bills are In store (or New Jer- version of every coal-gener- Despite the sales, Indiana said. sey residents if the nation- ating station to oil. officials are keeping in effect Nuclear power plants gen- wide coal strike continues, "There are sufficient sup: a 25 percent outback on elec- erated 31.2 percent in 1976, 9 4 MGAP outlook 'brighter,' government and utility plies of fuel oil on hand, so tricity to businesses served percent was fuel oil-fired, and spokesmen said yesterday. there should be no need for by three utilities, a cutback hydro-electric power and With nuclear generators al- curtailments," he asserted, that has put some 4,700 work- pump storage accounted for ready running at full capacity "But 25 percent of the state's ers on indefinite layoff and the rest, he said. and coal supplies dwindling, electricity is coal-generated, 15,000 more on shortened "We're fortunate at JCPfcL but faces payroll problem New Jersey utilities will be and electricity generated by work schedules. because 54 percent of our forced to rely increasingly on fuel oil is going to be much West Virginia and Maryland power came from nuclear By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN mouth County agency. expected to arrive in time for expensive fuel oil for power more expensive." officials decided yesterday to power plants in 1977, in- EATONTOWN - The fu- If MCAP doesn't agree to Friday's bi-weekly staff pay- generation. JCPtL and other North- impose 30 percent usage cut- cluding a whopping 72 percent ture of the Monmouth Com- thii plan, It stands * good day. And heavy use of fuel oil eastern utilities have been backs for industrial custom- in the last quarter of the munity Action Program chance of losing its money en- MCAP employees' last pay- during the cold months of Ja- selling excess electricity gen- ers of Potomac Edison Co. year," Mr. Sherratt noted. (MCAP) looks "a little bit tirely, Vaughn Gearan, CSA checks came out of non-CSA nuary and February has al- erated by nuclear power and Monongahela Power Co. "We can afford to help our brighter" to Clarence Gale, regional counsel, noted yes- funds, but a number of em- ready cost customers of Jer- plants or oil-fired plants to that could cause 25,000 layoffs coal-reliant PJM neighbors. MCAP board chairman, but terday. ployees had paychecks sey Central Power & Light utilities in Pennsylvania, in West Virginia alone. Vir- "But we also have a share the prospects of meeting the "If MCAP doesn't accept bounce. » Co. (JCP4L) a 95 cent in- Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Mary- ginia officials were consid- in the huge Keystone coal- agency's payroll for more the plan: their future funding This mix-up occurred after crease on the average 600 kil- land and West Virginia that ering a similar action. burning station in Western than 140 staffers this Friday Is in doubt," Mr. Gearan said. the MCAP board ordered that owatt hour monthly bill. are running short of coal. The Pennsylvania-New Jer- Pennsylvania near John- seems decidedly dim. The Bergen County agency MCAP's checks be held by "Our trigger point for reac- "What companies are sey-Maryland ,(PJM) Inter- stown," he said. "And If we Although the Community has already agreed to go banks until they received new tion to the coal strike is doing, especially in Indiana, connection, an 11 -utility pow- don't get our share of elec-. Services Administration along with the plan, he added. signature cards. Wilbert C. March 15," said Irving Oel- is conserving their last coal er pool that includes JCP&L trlcity from there, it could (CSA), MCAP's federal par- It Is unlikely that the grant Russell, MCAP executive di- baum, administrator of the supplies by importing as and Potomac Edison, relied create a probh'm " ent agency, Intends to hall would be made directly to rector until he was fired last energy operations office of much power as possible from on coal for 59 percent of its Any decrease in the supply funding to the agency on MCAP, he conceded, and it week, and Raymond Scott, the state Department of other areas of the country," power generation in 1976, the Set Electric, page 2 March 31, MCAP Is awaiting was uncertain If the agency MCAP chief fiscal officer who more than 1140,000 In Febru- would get the full grant.