Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 5, 1993 TAG: 9305050185
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HUNTINGTON, W.VA. LENGTH: Short
A 60-day contract extension expired at midnight Monday, but miners reported to work as scheduled Tuesday.
No new talks were set.
"For years our organization has been labeled predictable. Now we're being labeled unpredictable," said Bob Phalen, president of the UMW's District 17, covering southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.
A decision to strike any of the 12 member companies of the Bituminous Coal Operators Association could come "tomorrow, it could be the next day, it could be within the week," Phalen said.
The contract expired Feb. 1, and UMW President Richard Trumka called a strike against the subsidiaries of St. Louis-based Peabody Holding Co., the nation's largest coal producer.
A month after the start of the strike, the two sides agreed to a 60-day extension of the contract so negotiations could continue. It was that extension which expired Monday night.
Representatives for both sides chose their words carefully and avoided any indication that talks had broken off permanently.
Sandy Taylor, spokeswoman for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said only that "there are no meetings scheduled that we know about and we continue to monitor the situation."
The operators have said they need more flexible work rules to remain competitive with nonunion and foreign producers. The union has said increased productivity must be accompanied by job security for union members.
by CNB