Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 1, 1993                   TAG: 9307010128
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HUNTINGTON, W.VA.                                LENGTH: Medium

COAL AGREEMENTS REACHED

The agreement affects 7,500 UMW members in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and involves three members of the Independent Bituminous Coal Bargaining Alliance: the Drummond Co. Inc. of Birmingham, Ala.; Jim Walter Resources Inc. of Brookwood, Ala.; and U.S. Steel Mining Co. of Pittsburgh.

The union said an announcement about the fourth member of the group, Philadelphia-based Westmoreland Coal Co. "will be forthcoming." Westmoreland operates in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.

The operators had banded together to pursue employee participation strategies promoted by the Clinton administration.

Details of the agreement were withheld until UMW President Richard Trumka can discuss it with local and district union officials, said UMW spokesman Jim Grossfeld in Washington, D.C.

"This pact is a milestone in the history of labor-management relations in the coal industry," Trumka said. "The IBCBA companies have decided to join with us to end the traditionally hostile relationship between miners and coal operators."

According to the union, other companies have signed so-called "me-too" agreements that bind them to the contract.

H. Douglas Dahl, chief negotiator for the operators and the president of Drummond Co., said the agreement signals the start of a new labor-management relationship at the same time that it offers job security to UMW members.

"Productivity is the key to competing in this global economy and employees who have job security are the most productive workers," Dahl said. "Workers who don't have to worry about losing their job opportunities when they exhaust a mine's coal supply can become even more secure and productive employees."

Dahl said the operators of the alliance "believe that labor-management cooperation is the key to a stronger, smarter, more competitive and successful coal industry."

The agreement does not affect the UMW's selective strike against the members of the Bituminous Coal Operators Association, which since 1950 has set the pattern for contracts with the UMW.

The UMW went on strike against selected coal association operations May 10 and has expanded the walkout several times. The union says it has about 14,000 miners on strike at five companies in West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. No Virginia operations are involved.

In recent weeks, the UMW has signed interim agreements with four companies that began the talks among the ranks of the coal association. The coal association says such agreements are illegal and has filed unfair labor practice charges against the union, AMAX Inc. of Indianapolis and CLI Inc. of Homer City, Pa., both of which resigned from the group.

The other companies that have signed interim agreements are Freeman United Coal Co. of Marion, Ill., and American Electric Power of Lancaster, Ohio.