At every bituminous coal mine in this Commonwealth where coal is mined by weight or measure, the miners whose wages are paid on the basis of tonnage mined, whether weighed or measured, or a majority of such miners present at a meeting called by them for that purpose, shall have the right to employ a competent person as checkweighman or check-measurer, as the case may require, who shall be permitted at all times to be present at the weighing or measurement of coal, also have power to weigh or measure the same, and during the regular working hours to have the privilege to balance and examine the scales or measure the cars. All such balancing and examination of scales shall be done in such a way and at such time as in no way to interfere with the regular workings of the mine. Such checkweighman shall be paid such compensation as may be fixed by the miners attending such meeting, which shall be paid by the operator to such checkweighman or checkmeasurer from deductions made from the wages of all miners employed at such mine whose wages are paid on the basis of tonnage, whether weighed or measured, an equal deduction being made from the compensation of such wages per ton or per measure, as directed by the checkweighman or checkmeasurer. Any person, association, copartnership or corporation who, as operator, shall refuse to permit any checkweighman or checkmeasurer, so selected, to weigh and measure coal as provided by this act, or shall fail or refuse to pay the wages of such checkweighman or checkmeasurer as required by this act, or shall interfere with, restrain or coerce employes in the exercise of the right to elect such checkweighman or checkmeasurer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of five hundred dollars ($500) per day for each day of such refusal or violation.
52 P.S. § 1387