FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 14, 2025
UMWA, USW Fight to Uphold Life-Saving Silica Protections for America’s Miners
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), joined by the United Steelworkers (USW), filed a motion in federal court today to intervene in the ongoing administrative review proceeding concerning the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) defense of the Silica Rule, which is crucial for the health and safety of UMWA members and the nation’s miners.
“Our mission has always been to protect the health, safety, and dignity of those who do the hardest work in America’s mines,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “If we don’t stand up now, we risk condemning a new generation of miners to the same suffering that past generations endured. That is not a future we are willing to accept.”
The unions’ intervention is warranted by MSHA’s decision to hold enforcement of the rule in abeyance until August, according to the motion filed today. “The sudden shift in litigation position signaled by MSHA’s “enforcement pause,” and by its unilateral proposal to hold this case in abeyance for a period of four months is a clarion call to this nation’s miners that the Agency charged with the profound responsibility of protecting their health and safety is losing the stomach for the fight to vindicate its own rule,” the UMWA and USW argued.
“As long as miners continue to work beneath the earth, we will continue to fight for their safety on the job,” International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson said. “No job should come with a death sentence.”
The Silica Rule provides essential workplace protections against respirable silica dust, a significant hazard faced by miners today. Without these protections, UMWA members face increased exposure to this dangerous substance, which is the leading cause of serious respiratory illnesses among miners, particularly affecting young and early-career workers. The potential loss of the Silica Rule could lead to debilitating respiratory conditions, including silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, as well as premature deaths and lifelong disabilities.
Click here to view a copy of the motion.
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