FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 7, 2025
Closing MSHA offices could be a recipe for disaster
[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on the recent posting by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) listing the closure of offices of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:
“The UMWA is very troubled by the announced closures of dozens of MSHA offices around the nation. The work MSHA inspectors and administrative staff do is critical in keeping miners safe at work, and ensuring they return to their families at the end of each shift.
“It is still not clear to us if all of these offices will actually close, or if the workers there are simply being shifted to other locations. We have not heard of any reductions in force at MSHA as of yet, although if recent events elsewhere in the government are any guide that is to be expected, unfortunately.
“We have always said that the safety of workers depends on three things: First, an employer that follows the law; Second, a government that enforces the law; and Third, a workforce that is empowered to speak up for itself through a union.
“We will continue to do all we can to keep miners safe where we represent the workforce. But in the absence of a union and the absence of strong government enforcement, workers’ safety will be left solely in the hands of employers. History has shown us time and time again that doing so is a recipe for disaster, especially in the mining industry.
“It is important to remember that before 1969 there was no law protecting miners at work, and thousands died in mines every year. We have good laws today, but if the government does not enforce them then we are back to the days of no workplace safety laws at all. That puts miners at great risk. We urge the administration to keep this in mind and keep worker safety as its top priority moving forward.”
###
