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More than 1,000 workers plan to strike at Alabama coal mines

Source: ABC 33/40 News

March 31, 2021

 

BROOKWOOD, Ala. (AP) — More than 1,100 workers at two Alabama coal mines and related facilities owned by Warrior Met Coal Inc. will go on strike barring a last-minute labor agreement, the United Mine Workers of America said Wednesday.

Negotiators have not been able to reach a deal on a new contract, and workers will walk off the job Thursday night unless continuing negotiations succeed, said union spokesman Phil Smith.

“We hope that an agreement can be reached, but the company will need to move substantially from where it is now for the union to have reason to take something back to our members for potential ratification,” he said. The union did not release details on a potential contract.

D’Andre Wright, a spokesman for the Brookwood-based Warrior Met, did not immediately return a phone message or an email seeking comment.

The strike would include the company’s No. 4 and No. 7 mines, a preparation plant and a central shop, all located in Tuscaloosa County, a union statement said. Workers sacrificed to bring the company out of the Walter Energy bankruptcy five years ago, President Cecil Roberts said in the statement.

“These productive, professional miners at Warrior Met mined the coal that meant the company could become successful again,” he said. “And Warrior Met has capitalized on their hard work, earning tens of millions in profits for their Wall Street owners. They have even rewarded upper management with bonuses of up to $35,000 in recent weeks.”

Warrior Met, which produces coal that’s used in steel production in Asia, Europe and South America, recently reported a loss of about $35 million for last year compared to net income of $302 million for 2019. Citing uncertainty created by the global pandemic, the company did not release financial guidance for 2021.

“We continue to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and these other potentially disruptive factors on our business, although we believe that it is premature to speculate on when the economies of the countries in which our customers are located will reopen on a sustained basis” and return to normal demand, the company said in a statement in February.

The global market for metallurgical coal is “rebounding” from the pandemic, Smith said.

 

Written by: The Associated Press

Union Plus: Dental Insurance

Source: Union Plus

March 31, 2021

Why choose a Union Plus dental plan?

Our plans deliver some of the industry’s deepest discounts and provide members with more control over their health care and lifestyle spending. Here are a few reasons why Union Plus members love our savings plans:

  • Nationwide access to providers
  • Discounts available at the time of service
  • Affordable monthly and annual rates
  • Fee schedules provide cost transparency
  • Easily complement insurance products
  • Compatible with HSAs, FSAs and HRAs
  • No limits on use
  • No administrative forms to file

See what our dental plans offer

Dental Discount Plan:

Union members, retirees and their household family members can sign up and enjoy savings of 20% to 50% on dental care with one of the largest dental networks in the nation.

  • Annual exams, cleanings. fillings, X-rays
  • Root canals, crowns, extractions
  • Bridges, dentures

Plans as low as $7.95/month* or $79/annually*
*+$10 one-time, non-refundable processing fee

Dental Discount Advantage Plan:

The Dental Discount Advantage Plan is an addition to the basic dental plan and includes discounts on other health-related expenses.

  • Chiropractic & Alternative Medicine
  • Podiatry
  • Diabetes and Lifestyle Management Supplies

Plans as low as $9.95/month* or $99/annually*
*+$10 one-time, non-refundable processing fee

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1,100 west Alabama mine workers announce plan to go on strike

Source: AL.com

March 31, 2021

 

The United Mine Workers of America have issued a strike notice against Warrior Met Coal.

The UMWA said in a statement the strike is to begin at 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

The notice covers more than 1,100 workers at all of the company’s operations, including the No. 4 mine, the No. 5 preparation plant, the No. 7 mine and its central shop.

UMWA dues-paying members who participate in picket line or other strike duty will receive bi-weekly strike assistance payments from the union’s Selective Strike fund, the union said, as well as health care coverage for members and their families for the duration of the strike.

UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said the union members “are the reason Warrior Met exists today.” The current agreement with the union was negotiated as Warrior Met emerged from the bankruptcy proceedings of the former Walter Energy, which declared bankruptcy in 2016.

“They made the sacrifices to bring this company out of the bankruptcy of Walter Energy in 2016,” Roberts said.

“These productive, professional miners at Warrior Met mined the coal that meant the company could become successful again. And Warrior Met has capitalized on their hard work, earning tens of millions in profits for their Wall Street owners. They have even rewarded upper management with bonuses of up to $35,000 in recent weeks.

“But today, instead of rewarding the sacrifices and work of the miners, Warrior Met is seeking even further sacrifices from them, while demonstrating perhaps some of the worst labor-management relations we’ve seen in this industry since the days of the company town and company store,” Roberts said.

Efforts to reach Warrior Met Coal for a comment were not immediately successful.

The UMWA said it has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board relating to Warrior Met’s conduct during negotiations.

 

Written by: William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

Remington Retirees Received Alarming Letter

Source: News Channel 2

March 23, 2021

 

A letter for the former Remington Arms to Remington retirees had some of them thinking they might be losing their pension.

ILION, N.Y. — Some former Remington workers reached out to NEWSChannel 2 after receiving a letter in the mail this past week that had them thinking they were losing their pensions.

All the letter says is that Remington did not meet its obligation to make pension plan contributions of more than $8 million, plus accrued interest of more than $1 million, on Jan. 1 and Jan. 15, respectively.

Union officials that represent the workers say the retirees won’t be losing their pensions, they will just be getting their money from the government instead of the former Remington Arms company.

There is a government agency that guarantees pensions called the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or PBGC. It’s a government-run entity that takes over when, for whatever reason, a company’s pension goes under.

United Mine Workers of America Spokesperson Phil Smith says he too has heard that some retirees were concerned when they received the letter this past week, “I want to make sure people understand that as a result of the bankruptcy, Remington was relieved of their obligation to continue making contributions into the pension plan.

“That does not mean however that people’s pensions are going to stop. They are not. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation which is a government organization is going to be, for lack of a better word, making transfers from the insurance program that the PBGC has set up into the pension plan, The Remington pension plan.”

Smith says there should be no disruption in the delivery of the pensions and there should be no reduction in the amount that anyone should receive.

 

Written by: Gary Liberatore

Deadline approaching for mining union contract with Warrior Met Coal

Source: AL.com

March 18, 2021

 

The United Mine Workers of America says its negotiations with Warrior Met Coal are continuing as the current collective bargaining agreement expires April 1.

 

The UMWA represents more than 1,100 workers at Warrior Met’s No. 4 Mine, No. 5 Mine processing plant, No. 7 Mine and the company’s Central Shop, all located near Brookwood. The miners are members of UMWA Local Unions 2245, 2397, 2368 and 2427.

 

The union said the current agreement was negotiated as Warrior Met emerged from the bankruptcy proceedings of the former Walter Energy, which declared bankruptcy in 2016.

 

“We are working to reach a fair and equitable agreement that recognizes the hard work and significant sacrifices our members at Warrior Met made to save this company and these jobs,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “Because of their productivity, these professional, experienced miners have brought the company out of bankruptcy and made Warrior Met the successful company it is today.”

 

In 2020, Warrior Met Coal reported a net loss of $35.8 million and an adjusted net loss of $34.8 million. Warrior CEO Walt Scheller said last month that the company, despite the impact of COVID-19 on coal demand and pricing worldwide, was cash flow positive in the fourth quarter and nearly breakeven for the year.

 

Written by: William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

 

Cabin Creek Health taking COVID-19 vaccines to the people

Source: Charleson News-Gazette

March 11, 2021

 

With nearly 9,000 doses administered since December, Cabin Creek Health Systems has applied an old approach to COVID-19 vaccinations: Whenever possible, meet people where they already are.

On Thursday, that meant hosting a clinic at the Salvation Army location on Tennessee Avenue, in Charleston.

Large vaccination clinics held by Cabin Creek, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and other community health organizations, coupled with various other vaccination efforts, have led to almost 17% of Kanawha County residents being fully vaccinated. Another 23% have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the state.

At Cabin Creek, though, these efforts have looked a bit different.

 

Aaron Taylor, a registered nurse with Cabin Creek Health Systems, gives Earl Holstein Jr. his first COVID-19 vaccine in his truck on Charleston’s West Side on Thursday. Photo Credit: Kenny Kemp – Gazette-Mail

 

The clinic, which is designated as a federally qualified health center, receives no monetary reimbursements for its vaccination efforts. All costs associated with setting up and running the vaccination events are paid for through the clinic’s existing finances. Likewise, the physicians administering the vaccines aren’t being paid, either.

Amber Crist, the chief operations officer at Cabin Creek, said though there was a mechanism early on for federally qualified clinics to receive reimbursements through insurance companies for the vaccines, Cabin Creek opted out. Clinic leadership decided not to collect any insurance information from those they were vaccinating.

“We want this to be as seamless as possible, and we didn’t believe collecting insurance lined up with that,” Crist said. “This process should be easy. We don’t want people to have to work to get the vaccine.”

The newest COVID-19 relief bill, signed into law Thursday by President Joe Biden, includes funding for community health clinics — like Cabin Creek — to hold vaccination drives.

“This is work we need to be doing, and we’re going to do it no matter what,” Dr. Jessica McCulley, chief medical officer at Cabin Creek, said. “When we’re talking global preventative health, the sickest among us make us all sick.

Crist said being as accessible as possible extends beyond eliminating billing and insurance. For Cabin Creek, which operates six community clinics across Kanawha County, that means having a presence and building trust among community members wherever they are.

“We learned some time ago that health care cannot be confined to four walls,” Crist said. “Our goal has always been to meet people where they are, and with [COVID-19] especially, we’ve learned the value of that.

“That’s why when we first learned we were being allocated [vaccines], the first thing we thought was, ‘We’ve got to go mobile.’”

This approach, Crist said, comes with various advantages. By focusing on less-centralized locations, Crist said physicians are often able to treat or connect with patients who are potentially more likely to fall through the cracks.

Cabin Creek isn’t the only organization trying to extend its outreach. Its efforts are coupled with those of the health department and other clinics, all of which are working together to cover as much of Kanawha County — the most populous county in the state — as possible.

 

Donald and Jo Wiley, from Paint Creek, get their vaccines Thursday at Cabin Creek Health Systems’ vaccination clinic on Charleston’s West Side. Photo Credit: Kenny Kemp – Gazette-Mail

 

“It would be impossible for any one group, whoever they are, to do this work alone,” Crist said. “We all complement each other, this isn’t a competition. This is public health.”

Cabin Creek has continued to rely on its own scheduling system for vaccine appointments. Crist said the clinic started its list the day vaccinations were announced for the public.

By maintaining its own list, the clinic was able to identify and prioritize high-risk patients.

“We were getting calls every minute, so I said, ‘Take down their names, we’re starting a list,’” Crist said. “We haven’t had to use Everbridge [the state’s online scheduling system] yet. We have no shortage of people waiting.”

McCulley said operating during the pandemic has helped those at Cabin Creek come away with lessons that may help inform their practices moving forward.

“We’ve learned we are nothing if not flexible, and if we’re too rigid, we break,” McCulley said. “We must continue to bend and mold to meet whatever the community needs.”

 

Written by Caity Coyne Staff writer

Reach Caity Coyne at caity.coyne@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-7939 or follow

 

Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams Urge Passage of $1.9T COVID-19 Relief Package

Source: The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register

March 9, 2021

 

WHEELING — Mayors representing two of West Virginia’s largest cities joined frontline workers in a virtual meeting this past week to urge lawmakers in Washington to get the American Rescue Plan passed.

The U.S. Senate narrowly passed the plan Saturday — 50-49, with no Republican support — but the amendments to the bill made in the Senate sent it back to the House of Representatives for another vote. The House plans to vote on the COVID-19 relief bill Tuesday.

This past week in an “urgent call for aid,” Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams joined others to plead the case that the $1.9 trillion bill needed passed.

The mayors were joined by representatives from the United Mine Workers of America and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, in West Virginia communities where frontline workers continue to perform essential jobs to keep the economy and crucial public services going throughout the pandemic.

“This should not be a partisan debate,” Elliott said. “This should not be something where we don’t take every step to get this done as quickly as possible.”

Regardless of the push and pull lawmakers have over various points contained in the bill, once passed, it is expected to deliver direct aid to states, cities, towns and villages impacted by the coronavirus crisis for the last year.

“We’re at a critical point right now against this pandemic, building back from the lingering effects that this health and economic crisis is going to have on our communities, and our fear is that this is going to last much longer,” Williams said.

Larger cities like Huntington and Wheeling have remained fiscally sound and continued operations through the pandemic, with much thanks to federal assistance through past CARES Act funding. Yet many other cities in the state have not been as fortunate, Williams noted, and countless privately owned businesses have struggled to stay afloat.

“Huntington has been able to weather the devastating economic effects of the pandemic,” Williams said. “Others have not and have had to lay off and draw back on their services. Many are fearful of what is to come.”

Cuts to public services in any community will negatively impact the entire state in the future, officials stressed. The same can be said for the local business communities.

“A lot of small businesses are really feeling the brunt of it,” Elliott said. “We try to do what we can within our budgetary restraints to help, but we need more assistance right now. We’re far from out of this pandemic. It’s going to go on for months and months as it eases its grip.”

Wheeling officials passed a measure that will waive the Business and Occupation tax for the current quarter for eligible small businesses. City leaders have committed to redirecting federal assistance directly to those in the community who need it once the new stimulus package is passed.

“We need a bold investment,” Williams said. “We need to double down on the challenge and not shrink from it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as well. With that, we have one opportunity to get this right, and that’s where the American Rescue Plan gives us a chance to do this.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle share the notion to “go big” on the new stimulus package, and the mayors urged that now is the time to get the aid flowing.

Elliott noted that, before the pandemic, Wheeling was gaining steam with private investments planting the seeds for the future in the Friendly City. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has pumped the brakes on many endeavors of the past year simply because of the economic uncertainty.

The community-wide economic slowdown in the wake of the pandemic was a “punch to the gut” to a lot of the ongoing revitalization efforts that had been gaining momentum in the city of Wheeling, the mayor said, particularly for local businesses and private investors.

Both mayors said the pandemic has also brought with it increases in cases of drug addiction and homelessness, as well as strains on local food banks. Stimulus funding, they said, will help in battling these side effects of the already challenging health and economic crisis.

 

Written by: Eric Ayres

Union Plus: Cozy recipes to curl up with

Source: Union Plus

February 22, 2021

Cozy recipes to curl up with

What’s your favorite comfort food? Check out our go-to recipes that are made for weeknight cooking, in your fuzzy slippers.

Old-School Recipes

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

It’s hard to resist this timeless comfort food classic that has tender chicken, creamy gravy, and a delicious flaky crust. Campbell’s Kitchen Chicken Pot Pie recipe is so simple to whip up for the whole family. For a cozy dinner, serve with a cucumber tomato salad and your favorite vinaigrette.

  • 1 can Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (Banquet, Food Club, Great Value, Healthy Choice, Kroger)
  • 1 cup cubed cooked chicken (Earth’s Best, Empire Kosher, Foster Farms, Tyson, Valley Fresh, Wayne Farms)
  • 1/2 cup milk (Dairy Fresh, Hiland Dairy, Prairie Farms)
  • 1 egg (Dairy Fresh, Hiland Dairy, Prairie Farms)
  • 1 cup all-purpose baking mix

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the soup, vegetables, and chicken in a 9-inch pie plate. Stir the milk, egg and baking mix in a small bowl. Spread the batter over the chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is the queen of comfort foods and is perfect for any weeknight dinner when you’re having an intense pasta craving. Trisha Yearwood’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe is sure to satisfy.

  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt (Colonial, Diamond Crystal, Monarch, Morton, Nifda, Red & White, Sterling, Sysco)
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni with ridges (Ronzoni, Royal Brand, San Giorgio, Turris Italian Foods)
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (Dairy Fresh, Hiland Dairy, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Land O’ Lakes Butter, Prairie Farms)
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk (Dairy Fresh, Hiland Dairy, Prairie Farms)
  • 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar (Dairy Fresh, Hiland Dairy, Prairie Farms, Sun-Re Cheese, Tillamook Cheese)
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

For the macaroni: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.

For the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.

For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Oh-So-Cozy Soups

Grab a bowl of your favorite union-made soup.

  • Campbell Soup
  • College Inn
  • El Ebro Galician
  • Healthy Choice
  • Homestyle Bakes
  • MC Soups
  • Snider Soups

Ice Cream!

What’s a comforting meal without a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream to top it off!

  • Barber’s
  • Country Fresh
  • Creamland Dairies
  • Labelle Ice Cream
  • Orchard Harvest Ice Cream
  • Prairie Farms
  • The Masterson Company

 

Manchin unveils tax credit measure aimed at new or revitalized manufacturing plants

Source: WTOV 9 Fox News

March 1, 2021

A tax credit meant to ease the way from job losses in coal mining and manufacturing into making goods for the green economy was unveiled Monday by Senator Joe Manchin (D).

Joining Manchin in announcing the American jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act of 2021 was Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D). They said the tax credit would encourage up to $8 billion in new or revitalized manufacturing plants. It’s got endorsements including the United Steelworkers, the United Mine Workers, Ford and GM, among others.

“A lot of the people that have basically built America whether the coal that we mine, that made the steel and all the ingredients to make the cars and all the hardworking people that really built America,” Manchin said. “They would love to stay in their home areas if they could. And the transition goes on and transitions are happening in the energy field as we talk and in the automotive industry also. We want to make sure there is an opportunity.”

Locally, Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties haver areas that qualify for the Coal Communities Program.

Written by: Paul Giannamore

Herkimer County IDA OKs tax breaks for Remington Arms buyer

Source: Times Telegram

February 25, 2021

 

RemArms, the company that is gearing up to operate the former Remington Arms plant in Ilion, has been approved for a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement, according to Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director John Piseck.

The IDA board approved the PILOT agreement for the $28 million project during a meeting earlier this week. That figure includes the $13 million purchase cost and $15 million for upgrades to the plant and guarantees 200 jobs, he said.

“It’s a standard 10-year PILOT,” Piseck said.

The company would initially pay 50% of the regular amount in taxes with a 5% increase each year over the 10 years of the agreement. A public hearing will have to be held on the agreement.

Roundhill Group Inc., the new owners, plan to start with the 870 shotgun line, said Piseck.

“They’re going to go back to basics. We have a talented workforce here and that’s their premiere line,” he said.

When asked about plans for starting up the operation and what upgrades would have to be made, Richmond Italia, a managing partner for Roundhill, said he preferred to wait until everything is finalized to offer specifics, adding, “there are still many outstanding points that need to be resolved before a full commitment can be announced.”

Italia reported early in January that Roundhill Group LLC had received its federal firearms license and the company was planning for a March 1 startup.

No contract yet

The United Mine Workers of America, the union that represents former Remington Arms employees, said in a statement released Wednesday that the UMWA and the new company have yet to reach a contract agreement.

UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts called for Italia “to meet face-to-face and complete negotiations for an agreement.”

He said he is willing to meet with him remotely or in person.

Roberts said he appreciated Italia’s comments in a media interview recognizing the UMWA as the collective bargaining agent for workers in Ilion, but was “mystified by his statement that we are ‘almost there’ with respect to an agreement. We are not almost there. Let’s get down to the real business of reaching an agreement that is fair and reasonable for everyone.”

The union leader called the workers at the Ilion plant “the most professional and productive workers in the arms manufacturing industry anywhere in America” and added, “they need the security that comes from having a union contract as they go back to work.”

Roundhill purchased the Ilion operation minus the Marlin line along with the handgun barrel factory and auxiliary property in Lenoir City, Tennessee, for $13 million when Remington Outdoor Company’s assets were broken up and sold in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Alabama.

Remington Outdoor Company filed for bankruptcy in July 2020 and announced in October that it was terminating the employment of 585 workers at its Ilion plant effective Oct. 26, and cutting off all their health care and other contractual benefits on Oct. 31.

The company also said it would not pay severance and accrued vacation benefits, as called for under its collective bargaining agreement with the UMWA. The union is fighting that decision and local union workers and supporters have conducted multiple rallies calling for the old company to live up to its agreement. Roberts was in Ilion for a rally in November to assure members of the union’s support.

Written by: Donna Thompson