FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 9, 2016
[TRIANGLE, VA] United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:
“The people have spoken. Millions are happy with the results, millions are not. But they have all had the opportunity to make their voices heard.
“Working families in our nation’s coalfields are especially concerned about their future, and they made their voices heard loud and clear yesterday. President-elect Trump has spoken many times about addressing the serious economic disaster that is affecting large areas of Appalachia and other coal-producing areas of our country by putting coal miners back to work. No one is more interested in doing just exactly that than the UMWA.
“The first step to addressing the problems that exist in the coalfields is to ensure that the health care and pensions thousands of retirees worked their entire lives for are preserved. Failure to do so this year will only lead to more unemployment and misery in an area of the country that has seen more than its share of both. Congress needs to act in the coming lame-duck session to get this done and provide the jump-start toward revitalizing the coalfields that is so badly needed.”
