Franklin D. Roosevelt

Statement on the End of the Coal Strike.

June 23, 1943

It is a good thing that the miners are returning to their work. This is the third time within a short period that the production of coal has been interrupted.

As a result of these three interruptions war production has been slowed down.

Aside from United Mine Workers coal mining, the making of war munitions and supplies has gone ahead extremely well. Aside from United Mine Workers coal mining, the no-strike pledge by organized labor has been well kept, the few small, unauthorized strikes which have occurred having affected only a very small fraction of 1 percent of production.

The action of the leaders of the United Mine Workers coal miners has been intolerable—and has rightly stirred up the anger and disapproval of the overwhelming mass of the American people.

The mines for the time being of course will continue to be operated by the Secretary of the Interior under the Executive Order of May 1. The terms and conditions of employment will be those announced by the National War Labor Board in its directive of June 18. There has been no promise or commitment by the Government to change those terms and conditions in any way.

Before the leaders of the United Mine Workers decided to direct the miners to return to work, the Government had taken steps to set up the machinery for inducting into the armed services all miners subject to the Selective Service Act, who absented themselves without just cause from work in the mines under Government operation.

As the Selective Service Act does not authorize the induction of men above 45 years into the armed services, I intend to request the Congress to raise the age limit for non-combat military service to 65 years. I shall make that request of the Congress so that if at any time in the future there should be a threat of interruption of work in plants, mines, or establishments owned by the Government, or taken possession of by the Government, the machinery will be available for prompt action.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Statement on the End of the Coal Strike. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/210158

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