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Alabama miners’ strike: ‘We are Union!’

Source: Workers World

June 2, 2021

Centreville, Ala.

May 31 — In Brookwood, Ala., the 1,100 miners of United Mine Workers (UMWA) Local 2245 are entering the ninth week of a strike begun April 1 against Warrior Met Coal. The company has refused to meet the miners’ just demands, and the bosses brought in nonunion workers to replace the strikers. Business Wire describes Warrior as “the leading dedicated U.S.-based producer and exporter of high quality metallurgical (‘met’) coal for the global steel industry.” (Feb. 24)

Three hundred striking workers marched to Mine #7 on May 25 to confront the strikebreakers, chanting, “We are Union! UM doesn’t break!” Black strikers on bullhorns called out by name the scabs who were crossing the picket line: “Get out from behind the truck, D__! Come back where we can see you!” Mine worker unionization in Central Alabama has a tradition of Black and white worker organizing that goes back 100 years, in defiance of state segregationist law and policy.

A group of miners sat down in the road to block the entrance; eleven were eventually arrested. One miner said, “We don’t feel like we’re breaking the law, when this company is trying to destroy our people.” (perfectunion.us)

When those arrested were released later in the day, they joined a union rally in progress, where speakers included Cecil Roberts, UMWA international president, and Liz Schuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.

In 2016 the miners accepted a drastic $6-an-hour pay cut and sacrificed health benefits to bring the company out of bankruptcy. Management promised the cuts would be restored once the business was solvent.

In a 2020 end-of-year statement Warrior CEO Walt Scheller said: “Despite the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on met coal demand and pricing worldwide, we were pleased to be cash flow positive again in the fourth quarter and nearly break even for the year.”

But when the miners demanded restoration of their pay and benefits, the company offered a contract with only a $1.50-an-hour increase and kept in place brutal discipline and firing policies. The company contract offered nothing to improve unsafe working conditions. After walking out, the miners voted 1,006 to 45 to reject the company offer.

The miners labor in one of the world’s most life-threatening workplaces. The Brookwood mines are 1,400 to 2,100 feet underground — some of the deepest vertical-shaft coal mines in North America. In 2001, methane gas explosions and a cave-in at one of the mines killed 13 workers, including a former high school classmate of this writer.

Coal is extracted in the Warrior Met mines with highly mechanized “longwall” machines. Dire physical risk is omnipresent, including methane gas explosions, strata failure that shears limbs, dust that permanently damages lungs, longwall mechanisms causing head and neck injuries, and deafening machine noise.

The company’s hard line, which is keeping experienced miners out of work, is also having a damaging impact on the surrounding environment, as inexperienced picket-line crossers are expected to run complicated machinery. Nelson Brooke with Black Warrior Riverkeepers says a polluted wastewater discharge smelling of chemicals is now flowing into local creeks from Warrior Met. These are creeks where children of the workers swim in the summer. Brooke says the Alabama Department of Environmental Management should immediately shut down Mine #7 and issue a cease-and-desist order to the company. (abc3340.com, May 3)

Weekly solidarity rallies are being held at Tannehill State Park. Community support, including fundraisers and a food pantry, is helping the striking miners and their families keep going.

Written by: Minnie Bruce Pratt

Estevan to mark the anniversary of the strike that set off a labour movement

Source: Estevan Mercury

June 2, 2021

It will be 90 years this year since three miners – Peter Markunas, Nick Nargan and Julian Gryshko – lost their lives in an effort to improve harsh and often inhumane work conditions for themselves, their fellow workers and, as it turned out, thousands of other mine-industry employees all across Canada and the rest of North America.

“Those names and that grave represent heroes, not only to the United Mine Workers of America but to the rest of the labour movement throughout North America,” said Jody Dukart, international auditor/teller with United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Local 7606.

September will mark the anniversary of the 1931 Estevan Riot, which paved the way for the union movement and also shaped the Bienfait and Estevan communities.

The Estevan Riot, also known as Black Tuesday Riot – a confrontation between the RCMP and striking Bienfait miners, took place on Sept. 29, 1931. Miners who’d been striking since Sept. 7 were demanding an improvement in wages and working conditions.

“It was a pivotal moment in Saskatchewan labour history,” Dukart said. “The miners’ goals were to set daily working hours, better working conditions, to end the company store monopoly and wage increase.”

On Black Tuesday, to gain support, miners and their families organized a solidarity parade in Estevan which was deemed illegal. As they walked from Beinfait to Estevan, they were met with lines of police officers. And as they entered the city square, the RCMP confronted rioting miners and tried to stop the procession. Shortly afterwards the RCMP opened fire on the strikers, killing the above-mentioned three and injuring numerous others.

The next day 90 RCMP officers raided miners back home. Thirteen strikers and union leaders were arrested on charges of rioting. RCMP members involved with the death of the miners were not charged.

On Oct. 6, the coal company agreed to strikers’ key demands. The minimum wage went up to $4, the company switched to eight-hour workdays, reduced rent and put an end to the company store monopoly. That agreement put an end to the strike but it was also was just the beginning of the development of the labour movement in Saskatchewan.

The work started by 1931 striking miners and union leaders continued throughout the following 90 years.

“They paved the way to lives we all live today. And that’s another reason why it’s so important to us. It was the start to better working conditions, better wages, better family time, because of reduced working hours, and freedom, really. Back in that day, they had shopped at the company store. They got their cheques, and then any money that they made in the mine, they had to spend at the company store. They weren’t free to go to local communities to spend money,” explained Dukart, who lives in Bienfait and grew up about 1 1/2 kilometres from the three miners’ grave.

He added that remembering the events of 1931 and the individuals who were strong and brave enough to stand up for their rights is key to understanding the contemporary working conditions.

“We get people that start at the mines, and they see the collective agreements, and they just think the company gave us all that, all those items in that collective agreement. But it stems back to 1931, to these guys actually going on strike and sticking up to their rights.

That’s what started collective agreements,” Dukart said. “Slowly over the years, we just keep improving those collective agreements. It isn’t a company that gives you that stuff, that’s the individuals, they negotiated that and that’s obviously how a union is. It’s work. You form a union, you negotiate contracts, and you get solidarity and power, the more members you have.”

Those miners striking and losing their lives in 1931 changed it, not only for the generations of miners to come but for everybody else in the area and probably in many other communities.

“It goes a long way because when we improve working conditions and wages in a site, everybody in the surrounding area has to compete to keep the good workers,” Dukart noted.

UMWA Local 7606 doesn’t plan on having any big events for the anniversary of the strike this September. Usually, when they celebrate something of this importance, they try to get the U.S. union members to come over and deliver speeches. Besides, they would get the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress involved, and with all these guest speakers flying in with the pandemic and borders remaining closed, it wouldn’t be realistic to get it organized.

However, they are proceeding with refurbishing the grave of the three miners in Bienfait.

“We would redo the grave, it needs some attention. So we thought we’d redo the grave and then get a nice plaque made up with the 90th year anniversary recognition on it,” Dukart said.

The plan is to start working on the grave in June and have it completed before the date of the strike anniversary in September. There is a little bit of concrete patching that needs to be done and the headstone needs to be fixed up and painted.

Bienfait Mayor Ken Bonokoski stepped up to the plate and said he wanted to help with the project. Other union members will also donate their time and the union will cover the costs.

“We owe it to them three individuals,” Dukart said.

The last recognition of the deceased miners took place during the 75th anniversary, and the plaque was put on the railing then. It got some moisture inside, and the union plans on fixing it and keeping it where it is. The new plaque will go on the other side of the railing.

Last year, the UMWA local also completed the refurbishment of the coal car, located at the Miners’ Corner by the courthouse in Estevan – the historical scene of the 1931 riot. Dave Dukart spearheaded the project.

Written by: Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Striking coalminers in Alabama energize support across the south

Source: The Guardian

June 1, 2021

About 1,100 coalminers represented by the United Mine Workers of America in Brookwood, Alabama, have been on strike since the start of April against Warrior Met Coal amid new union contract negotiations.

As the strike heads into its third month, workers are fighting for improvements to wages and benefits after they say several concessions were made by workers under the previous contract in 2016 when Warrior Met Coal took control of the mines in the wake of a bankruptcy filing by Walter Energy.

The strike has energized support across the state and other parts of the south, in an area that has traditionally been hostile to labor disputes.

Last month supporters held a concert to raise money for striking miners that included Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers and comedian Drew Morgan. Labor leaders from around the US, including the AFA-CWA president, Sara Nelson, and the AFL-CIO secretary treasurer, Liz Shuler, have visited the striking miners to lend their support.

“Warrior Met still refuses to engage in meaningful negotiations with the UMWA at the bargaining table,” the UMWA international president, Cecil E Roberts, said in a recent press release. “But they are clearly on the wrong side of history. Community support for the strikers is growing, and now their struggle is gaining nationwide attention.”

Strikers say they are suffering the impacts from the lost income, which makes it difficult to make ends meet and afford basic necessities like food and rent or home payments. They have also carried out acts of civil disobedience outside the company’s main offices.

James Traweek has worked at Warrior Met Coal for four years at the No 7 mine in Brookwood. He explained miners accepted a $6-an-hour pay cut and reduction in health insurance and retirement benefits during the bankruptcy process five years ago, while adhering to a strict attendance policy.

“We were required to work six, sometimes seven days a week, for 12 hours a day. We worked on a four-strike system, which meant missing four days in a year resulted in termination,” said Traweek. “The only thing that was accepted as an excuse was a death in the immediate family. We had to work sick with the flu and many other illnesses in fear of losing our jobs.”

He noted the workers were just seeking to be compensated what they were worth in wages and benefits comparable to other unionized mines. Warrior Met Coal have brought in replacement workers as part of their continuity plan, the use of which Traweek characterized as “gut-wrenching”.

“We’re fighting for our families and every other member of the organized labor community across the world. We can’t allow corporate greed to rob us of our dignity and worth,” added Traweek. “After bringing a company from bankruptcy to record breaking production, we feel we deserve more.”

Ahead of the strike, the UMWA filed several unfair labor practice charges against Warrior Met Coal, including allegations the company threatened bankruptcy and layoffs. Shortly after the strike began, Warrior Met Coal obtained a court injunction limiting the number of striking workers on the picket lines on site at the mines and local residents reported complaints of visible pollution in two creeks from runoff at the mine sites a few weeks into the strike.

The company recently assured investors in an earnings call that customer production volume commitments would be met through 2021, despite the strike’s impact on production at mines in Alabama.

“The mining industry is an important part of the community in Brookwood, Alabama. This has been the way of life here for a long time. The wealthy conglomeration in New York that took over the bankrupt Walter Energy does not care about the men and women that work in the coalmines or their families,” said Rily Hughett, a coalminer at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood for 13 years, who worked through the bankruptcy transition in 2016.

Hughett explained coalminers face multiple dangers working on the job, including the risk of roof falls, methane gas buildups, low oxygen levels, working with heavy equipment and the pressure on workers to cut corners on safety for the sake of production. Coalmining is historically one of the most dangerous job professions.

Though Warrior Met Coal experienced a drop in revenue during the coronavirus pandemic as the coal and steel industries slowed down production, the company has made millions of dollars in profits since the bankruptcy. They reported a loss of about $35m in 2020 compared with net income of $302m in 2019.

“We only want a fair wage and good insurance for our families, but while they make hundreds of millions of dollars, they should show a little respect for the men and women that brought this company from bankruptcy to a thriving company,” Hughett added.

Workers rejected a tentative agreement offered by the company on 9 April, opting to continue the strike, as they were offered just a $1.50-an-hour raise over five years.

“They lowballed it,” said Marcus Vance, another coalminer on strike at Warrior Met Coal. “I think they’re trying to starve everybody out.”

Warrior Met Coal did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Written by: Michael Sainato

Union Plus: Hotels

Source: Union Plus

May 28, 2021

Save up to 60% on your favorite hotels

Are you planning a trip? Union families get the best discounts and a hassle-free booking experience when you book your next hotel stay.

Save at global hotel brands

Whether you’re planning a “staycation” or a once-in-a-lifetime “bucket list” trip, your Union Plus Hotel Discount has you covered. Union members save up to 60% on your favorite global hotels, including Hilton, Hyatt, Choice Hotels and more.

Book your stay at a union hotel

Fair Hotel makes it easy to search for unionized hotels. Just visit the Fair Hotel website and select the destination you’re planning to visit. Then return to the Union Plus Hotels website to book your hotel at a discounted rate.

Did you know that these national hotel chains are unionized?

  • Best Western
  • Comfort Inn
  • Hilton
  • Holiday Inn
  • Marriott
  • Radisson
  • Ritz Carlton
  • Sheraton
  • Westin

Need help?

To book any of your travel needs or get help with an existing reservation, contact our travel experts at 1-855-757-0418.

 

Nearly a dozen striking Alabama coal miners arrested at protest

Source: AL.com

May 26, 2021

Photo by: Haeden Wright

 

Nearly a dozen miners who’ve been striking an Alabama coal company for about two months were arrested during a protest outside a mine in Tuscaloosa County, a union said.

The United Mine Workers of America said 11 members were charged with trespassing at a Warrior Met Coal Inc. mine in Tuscaloosa County on Tuesday evening. They were released on bond early Wednesday, the same day the union planned a rally at a state park west of Birmingham.

Video from WVTM-TV showed members in plastic handcuffs being loaded on to a sheriff’s office bus after a march to a Warrior Met No. 7 mine entrance.

A walkout by 1,100 workers at the company began April 1 after contract talks failed. Members said they made sacrifices to save the company a few years ago and want better pay and health benefits.

“We put our lives on the line every day,” said miner Mike Wright.

The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the arrest and continuing strike but previously has defended its contract offer.

Miners rejected the company’s initial offer less than two weeks after the strike began, and Mine Workers International President Cecil Roberts said the company has refused to engage in “meaningful negotiations.”

Warrior Met produces coal used in steel production in Asia, Europe and South America. Earlier this year it reported a loss of about $35 million for last year compared to net income of $302 million for 2019.

The publicly traded company company did not release financial guidance for this year citing uncertainty created by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Written by: The Associated Press

‘Alabama Strike Fest’ Planned to Help Striking Coal Miners

Source: Rolling Stone

May 19, 2021

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 26: Mike Cooley of Drive-By Truckers performs at Tipitina’s on September 26, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

 

More than 1,000 coal miners at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, Alabama have been on strike since April 1st. Their venture capital-backed employers seem determined to starve them out, so local supporters have organized a benefit concert to boost the miners’ strike fund and support their ongoing fight against the bosses.

The Alabama Strike Fest will kick off at noon on Saturday, May 22nd in the parking lot of the United Mine Workers of America Local 2397 union hall in Brookwood. The event has a $20 suggested donation but is free for UMWA members and their families, and will feature performances by Drive-By Truckers’ Mike Cooley, Birmingham gospel punks Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, and UMWA members themselves, as well as comedy by Drew Morgan of the WellRed Comedy Tour and D.J. Lewis. Free barbeque and chili will be provided by the Alabama AFL-CIO.

Alabama Strike Fest is part of a weekend-long fundraising drive by The Valley Labor Report, a weekly talk radio show that focuses on workers’ struggles, and will be livestreamed on their Youtube page and Twitch channels. All funds raised by the concert and livestream will go directly to the UMWA District 20’s Strike Aid Fund, with the organization also accepting individual donations.

“We’re all generations-deep Alabamians, love Alabama more than anyplace, and try to support the people of Alabama however we can,” Lee Bains III tells Rolling Stone. “We’ve been working on a record for the past year and a half or so that deals a lot with Alabama’s people’s history and how much that has to do with the way organized labor has enriched and championed the lives of our people here.

“Union miners helped to build our home towns of Birmingham, Bessemer and the surrounding areas, and were on the front lines of struggles for workers’ rights, integration, children’s rights, and incarcerated people’s rights,” he adds. “There is a deep, rich history of Alabamians fighting against power structures for themselves and each other, and it’s so inspiring and galvanizing to see Alabamians reclaiming that heritage.”

Union Plus: Hearing Insurance

Source: Union Plus

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Remington reopens Herkimer County gun factory

Source: NNY360

May 11, 2021

ILION — The Remington Arms factory in the Herkimer County village of Ilion has reopened, eight months after its previous owner closed the plant and laid off more than 700 workers.

Richmond Italia, managing partner for RemArms owner Roundhill Group LLC, said in an email that the company has called back 230 workers to the factory, with plans for starting production with the Model 870 shotgun line, according to the Times Telegram.

Phil Smith, director of communications and governmental affairs for the United Mine Workers of America, said 120 hourly workers are among those who have been called back to work.

The reopening comes a little more than a month after the union announced it had reached an agreement with Roundhill that recognizes the union as the hourly employees’ collective bargaining agent when they return to work, establishes a recall process for more former Remington workers to be called back, and sets up a 60-day timeframe for the parties to begin negotiating a full labor contract.

Roundhill has said it hopes to hire back hundreds more workers as it ramps up firearms production in Ilion.

Remington’s previous owner filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Code last year after suffering falling sales. Roundhill purchased the gun factory in the fall for $13 million in a sale supervised by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Alabama.

Written by: Rick Moriarty

Coal Culture: How the Industry Formed a Culture and Where Its Future Is Headed

Source: Life & Times

 

Coal Culture: How the Industry Formed a Culture and Where Its Future Is Headed

Coal has been used for heat since the time of the caveman, and for centuries, its power has fueled the United States. But as we toured the coalfields of America’s northeast, we found that the industry itself created a unique culture among the brave people who dare to walk beneath the earth to power our lives above ground.

Where is this culture now, as the demand for coal declines? And more importantly, where is its future?

 

Curtis Burton (L), a coal miner of 18 years, remembers to pay his respects to the miners who went before him and gave his work today the safety he needs to return home to his family after work every day. He speaks to NTD host Kay Rubacek at a memorial for coal miners in Pennsylvania in an episode of Life and Times. (Oliver Trey/Screenshot via NTD)

 

Curtis Burton, a coal miner of 18 years, visits a memorial for coal miners in Pennsylvania in an episode of Life and Times. (Oliver Trey/Screenshot via NTD)

 

Zachary Petroski, the president of Panther Creek Valley Foundation, a mine electrician, and a tour guide for the oldest coal mine in the United States that is open to the public to tour, takes NTD host Kay Rubacek on a tour of the No. 9 Coal Mine in Lansford, Pa., in an episode of Life and Times. (Oliver Trey/Screenshot via NTD)

 

Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers Association, rebel-rouser, and gifted orator, whose passionate speeches have inspired miners throughout the nation to take action to protect their rights at work, speaks at the headquarters of the United Mine Workers Association in an episode of Life and Times. (Oliver Trey/Screenshot via NTD)

 

Hosted by award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Kay Rubacek, Life & Times travels the nation to bring you the hopeful stories behind the biggest news of today.

Life & Times is an NTD show available on YouTube and NTD website. It also airs on cable on NTD America. Find out where you can watch us on TV.