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Me el Oo : Re: JOHN L. LEvIS, ET AL fee ht 96552 INTIRVIEJ NITH "Among the many items that were discussed with Mr. JOSEPH 02ZANIC ELSHOFF concorning the dispute, ho meade mention of (continued) short weight cars of cool that were being loaded by the mer in the mine, and that this was going on shortly before the strike in 1937. That rosult of our conversation and his failure to settle wos that tho mine continued to remain idle, and except for one or two sporadic ettempts to operate the mine under the United Mine ‘jorkers it did remain idie until about Novomber 1939, Tesnnn the czar Pfaennan T hal TT eVArS ws bine Th ee Kaw! wniG COMNLEToOnNeG 1 naa De Din awrs in muy ps on aoc rey a dhe Aa May 13, 1937, I made repeated attempts by Icttcr and by telephone to hold further confarences with “r. DCLSHOFF, honing that the controversy could be closed and scttlement roached, all of which were unavailing. “During this pcriod frequent reports came out to tho effect that Mir. ELSHOFF was dcaling vith officials of tho United Mince Workers, and finally upon our insistence for a conforence wo did moet with Mr. ELSHOFF and his mim superintcndent. Mr. OSCAR FALCETTI, in the lobby of the Lincoln | Hotel at Springficld in about mid- July 1937. With me in that confarenta 42U ait Ves ave —— ee "Here, again, we made a serious endoavor to bring about a settle- ment with the result that Mr. ELSHOFF refused to consider any of our. proposals, Mr, ELSHOFF contended that he could not deprive the several men who had been expelled by the Progressive Mine Torkers the right to work at the mine with the rest of the men, adding he had no desire to be found guilty or pensligcd of an unfcir labor practice charge by the NLRB under the National Labor Relations Act. "To this we propsed that minc opcrations resume with all of the men excepting the soveral expelled workers with the understanding that in the event a decision was rondered by the NLRB in favor of the expelled { workers which might involve componsation for time lost, that our organiza- tion stand the complete expense ant ost oF any # such compensation. We aid this puroly vith the thought—in-mind-thet-this-wount form-thrctesia for a | settlement, Ha:ever, Mr. ELSPOFF bluntly refused this preposal, That | ~ “was my last conference with Mr. ELSHOFF as far as I as prosident was con- cerned, cod "On or about August 20, 1937, Springfield nowspapors carried an article announcing that Ur. ELSHOF? of the Liine "B™ Coal Company had signed & closed shop contract with United Mine Torkers District Iz.” Following the announcement of ths signing of this contract we immediately by telephone and by telogram endvavorcd to have lr. ELSEOFF reconsider his re aint ee ier re eg es at a NE