“WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTION TO SECURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND VOICE OF ALL WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.” – BRIAN SANSON
The Journal:
What do you see as the major issues the Union is facing today?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
The major issue facing our members working in the coal industry today are fuel switching by utilities and the amount of power plants that are actually closing across the country. We have less demand for our product within the coal industry than we have ever had before and challenges remain into the future about where our coal is going to be sold. We will continue to support the development and application of technology to ensure utilities can continue to use coal as a fuel as well as encourage government action to help those workers, families and communities that have already been devastated by the loss of coal jobs.
The Journal:
There has been a major shift in political power in Washington heading into 2025. What does this mean for the UMWA members and the entire labor movement?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
We have major concerns that the pension and health care legislation that so many people fought for years to achieve could be in jeopardy. There is a task force put together to assess government spending. They will be looking at all spending and the money that is allocated for our legislation, that provides benefits for our retirees and pension benefits for our retirees, will come under scrutiny. There are those in Washington who strongly opposed the legislation we passed preserving those benefits, and they have a stronger voice now on Capitol Hill and in the White House. These are very serious concerns.
The Journal:
With the new administration, how do you think the enforcement of health and safety will be affected, especially in regard to the silica dust rule?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
We have a lot of concern. We have made a lot of improvements within health and safety in our union and across the industry. We have concerns that the silica rule will not be enforced and will not be funded. This will result in younger miners getting black lung, being exposed to silicosis and greatly increasing the number of deaths associated with underground mining. This is a very serious concern for the Mine Workers and it is something that is a challenge that remains in front of us to be addressed.
The Journal:
What do you think about the politicians who don’t care about that and who are okay with taking funding away from enforcing this rule?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
The politicians on Capitol Hill who are okay with taking funding away from enforcing the rule are no different than the robber barons of old. They have no compassion and no care for workers; all they care about is the bottom line of companies and where their campaign contributions come from.
The Journal:
You’re currently in your first full term as Secretary-Treasurer. What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
To be part of the effort to pass the legislative victories that we were able to achieve is probably one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. To be able to work beside President Roberts, the Executive Board and ride buses with the rank-and-file members, is something that I will cherish my entire life.
The Journal:
You were intimately involved in dealing with the bankruptcies of coal company after coal company, including negotiating some of the collective bargaining agreements that kept UMWA members working after those bankruptcies. Can you talk to us a little about that?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
Going through all of the bankruptcies that we were thrust into in 2013, moving forward, was a very difficult time for this union. We spent countless hours in court, demonstrating and rallying outside of courthouses across the country. The UMWA has fared far better than any other group of workers when it came to being able to come out of a bankruptcy with our jobs, maintain our union, maintain our pensions and maintain retiree health care. I think we have put the best plan in place to deal with bankruptcies, and I’m quite proud that we were able to come out of them in the manner in which we did.
The Journal:
Can you tell us a little bit about the Union’s finances?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
The Union’s finances are strong. Obviously we have engaged in some major battles over the last several decades. The effort to pressure coal companies to pay $400 million into a VEBA to continue benefits, and then to pass legislation in Congress to preserve them cost a lot of money. Right off the heels of that, we go into a two-year strike with Warrior Met. We continue to fight and that will never change until we have the outcome that our members deserve in Alabama. We minimize the amount of money that we spend while still achieving our objectives, and we continue to do that.
The Journal:
What do you see as the Union’s goals for growing our membership to preserve our future?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
Organizing is the lifeblood of every union. There is no question about that. Bringing the Navajo Nation back into the Mine Workers was a huge victory. We have had a lot of additional organizing; organizing state employees, public employees and private employees outside of the coal industry. That is the key to growth and our future.
The Journal:
You mentioned our members on the Navajo Nation. Can you tell us the status of those members?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
We have a collective bargaining agreement with the Nation which has gone into effect. Many of the Nation’s workers are still members of the UMWA from a previous time when we did have a contract in place. We have to do everything necessary to communicate with those workers and bring them into the UMWA family.
The Journal:
What do you foresee for 2025 and what should our priorities be?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
2025 is going to be a difficult year. I see it as a year of workers’ rights being rolled back. I have a real concern that the legislation that we fought so hard for could become a line item on someone’s budget that could be marked out. That is not acceptable to this union. We are going to make sure that promise is kept.
The Journal:
Do we have any major contracts that we need to negotiate in 2025?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
We have a lot of contracts. Some of the largest, obviously, is the national agreement with ACNR, but we also have a large contract expiring at the Cumberland Mine in Pennsylvania and mines in Alabama. We are still working to get an agreement our members will ratify at Warrior Met. We have real challenges ahead of us to secure contracts that are fair for our members. We have begun to get ready, and I believe that we will secure contracts for those operations.
The Journal:
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
I think it’s important that the membership of the UMWA begin to think about the upcoming years. We have to be prepared to stave off any attack formed against us. It is a fight that is coming and a fight that we need to be prepared for.
The Journal:
Can you tell us what it’s like to work alongside President Roberts?
Secretary-Treasurer Sanson:
I have been very fortunate in my career. I have been able to watch his leadership over the last twenty years. He builds a work ethic in you that I don’t think can be learned, it has to be molded. President Roberts is a unique individual and anyone who spends time around him and doesn’t become a better person, it’s your own fault because he can be a tremendous teacher. I am grateful for the time I have been able to spend working for him and with him.
