ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Ohio Rep. Jack Cera was honored recently by the United Mine Workers of District 31 at their monthly meeting.
Always a friend to coal miners in Eastern Ohio, Cera, D-Bellaire, has acknowledged the significant role coal miners have had in building the nation’s economy.
“Coal miners have provided our homes and businesses with affordable electricity for centuries. The coal industry has provided good paying jobs for families, friends and neighbors for years,” Cera said.
Friends gathered in Zanesville at the meeting Oct. 30 to thank Cera for honoring the fallen coal miners of Willow Grove Mine.
The Willow Grove Mine, Hanna Coal Co. No. 10 mine, exploded 80 years ago, killing over 70 men and leaving families devastated. The mine was located 4 miles south of St. Clairsville.
The Willow Grove Mine had been looked upon as a model mine; one of the safest in the nation. In fact, many experts believe that the safety features put in place at the mine helped to save lives that fateful day.
March 16, 2020, marked the 80th anniversary of the Willow Grove Mine Explosion. Cera worked with the Division of Forestry to help local miners secure a spot for a marker dedicated to the fallen miners. On Oct. 30, the term-limited public servant received a plaque that will hang at the kiosk located at the site. It reads:
“State Representative Jack Cera, District 96, Ohio House of Representatives. District 31, Sub 6, UMWA would like to express our deepest appreciation and thanks for what you have done for the fallen coal miners and their families of the Willow Grove Mine. Without your commitment and determination, Willow Grove Memorial site would not have been possible.”
Nearly $5 million in scholarships awarded to union families!
Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $4.8 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 3,200 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.
The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, supported in part by contributions from the provider of the Union Plus Credit Card. (You do not need to be a Union Plus Credit Card holder to apply for this scholarship.)
How the Union Plus Scholarship Program works:
ELIGIBILITY
Current and retired members of participating unions, their spouses and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations). At least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant’s spouse or parent (if applicant is a dependent). The one-year membership minimum must be satisfied by May 31 of the scholarship year. See more details on eligibility in the tab below.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
This is a competitive scholarship. Applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended. The required essays can account for up to half your total score. Scholarship applicants are judged by a committee of impartial post-secondary educators
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Applications are available starting in mid-June, and a complete application must be received on or before 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Eastern Standard Time on January 31st of the scholarship year. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD AMOUNTS
Amounts range from $500 to $4,000. These one-time cash awards are for study beginning in the Fall of 2021. Students may re-apply each year.
ISAIAH’S AWARD
Isaiah’s Award was created to honor the exceptional life of Isaiah C., a beloved child, fostered and adopted by a current, long-time employee of Union Plus. Isaiah was a smart, talented, spiritual, generous and kind young man. It is our wish that his gentle spirit live on, in part, through this namesake scholarship.
Applicants for Isaiah’s Award must have a special connection to the foster care system, and will be asked in their application to describe their personal, employment, volunteer experiences, or career goals related to the foster care system.
AWARD DATE
The Scholarship Committee will determine recipients of scholarship awards by May 31 each year. During the first week of June award recipients will be individually notified by mail, and all applicants will be sent an email with notification that the award list is posted. Please note that due to the volume of applications we cannot provide any information on the status of an application before award announcements are made.
OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
The students selected for university, college, trade or technical school scholarships represent a wide sampling of backgrounds, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. The selection process is very competitive since we receive over thousands of applications each year.
THE UNION PLUS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Union Plus Education Foundation has awarded more than $4.8 million in scholarships to students of union families. Over 3,200 union families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.
With the help of donations from union supporters, the Foundation can help even more union families attain their education goals. Learn more about the Union Plus Education Foundation.
Hundreds of Remington Arms employees went from furloughed to laid off on Monday, and by Wednesday they were protesting to get paid. Their union, United Mine Workers of America, says they haven’t been paid severance and their benefits end this week.
“I get a phone call and they tell me you’re all done. No severance. Twenty-two years, no severance. Our healthcare is done at the end of the month. I’m diabetic I need my healthcare,” said longtime Remington employee Frank Brown.” They’re walking away from us.”
Remington went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy over the summer. The union says this latest move violates their contract. Local politicians saying they’re doing their part to help, including calling for a federal investigation.
“These workers deserve their pay, they deserve their severance, and we need to get this new company in here soon so they can start making firearms again,” said U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi. The plant is located in the first term Democrat’s district.
“This company is one of the most important companies in America, founded over 200 years ago, so I’m fighting for these union contracts and the great work they’ve done,” said Claudia Tenney, the Republican running against Brindisi, who used to represent the district from 2017 to 2019.
Investment firm Roundhill Group is in the process of purchasing Remington’s firearms business. They’ve said they’re committed to restoring the company’s name and operating the plant. But there are still hurdles to overcome.
“This company doesn’t have a federal firearms license. So if you understand the business, you can’t even put a serial number on a firearm unless you actually have the license to be able to sell the firearm. So I have a whole lot of faith that all of our local officials are going to help us out get this process done as soon as we can and put us back to work,” said Brown.
Remington has been a central part of the Ilion community for more than two centuries and employees don’t want to see that legacy disappear.
“This would be a huge devastating effect if this place were to close. Put us back to work, we’ll do our best for you, and we’ll make the company thrive,” said Brown.
Union members say they’ll be back on the picket line again on Thursday.
ILION, N.Y. (AP) — Workers at the sprawling Remington factory in this upstate New York village took pride in a local gunmaking tradition stretching back to the days of flintlock rifles. Now they’re looking ahead with uncertainty.
Jacquie Sweeney and her husband were among almost 600 workers fired by the company this week, a few months after Remington Outdoor Co. sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years.
Successful bidders for the idled plant in bankruptcy proceedings have said they plan to restart at least some production, though details remain scarce.
There are high hopes for a successful reload of the plant that dominates the local economy. But these hopes are tempered by questions about how many workers will come back, and when.
“My husband, he’s looking for work, just like everybody else. And I plan on going back to college unless I find a job before I start that up,” said Sweeney, recording secretary for the local unit of the United Mine Workers of America. “That’s all we can really do. We can’t sit around and wait for forever.”
It’s common for people here to say that Ilion is Remington and Remington is Ilion. Company founder Eliphalet Remington started making flintlock rifles on his father’s forge near here in 1816, and the Ilion factory site dates to 1828. Though the company moved its headquarters to Madison, North Carolina, the old factory dominates — literally and figuratively — a village that has long depended on workers making rifles and shotguns to power the economy.
Union signs reading “United We Stand with Remington Workers” are in the windows of local businesses that sell everything from pizza slices to steel-toed boots. At Beer Belly Bob’s beverage center across the street from the plant, Bob McDowell recalled the sales bump on Thursdays and Fridays after shifts ended at 3 p.m.
“I used to call it the beer train,” McDowell said with a smile. “It was busy, and it is gone.”
Remington’s recent history has been a roller coaster ride with a lot of drops. Layoffs have been common. The plant, which employed around 1,200 people eight years ago, was down recently to about 600 union workers plus an estimated 100 or so salaried workers. The company began moving two production lines to a new plant in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2014.
Remington dealt not only with the volatile gun market, but also legal action, after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre. The gunman who killed 20 children and six educators at the Connecticut school used a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, which once was made here.
Most workers were furloughed at the end of September as the company went through bankruptcy proceedings. Locals wondered whether it would ever restart.
The company was divvied up by multiple buyers. The bankruptcy court approved Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s $30 million bid for Marlin Firearms, which were made here, and Anoka, Minnesota-based Vista Outdoor’s $81.4 million bid for Remington’s ammunition and accessories businesses.
Roundhill Group’s $13 million bid included the Ilion firearms plant and a handgun barrel factory in Lenoir City, Tennessee.
Roundhill partner Richmond Italia, a paintball industry veteran, said he was approached by Remington CEO Ken D’Arcy about the opportunity, according to documents filed in the bankruptcy case.
“I believe I was approached by Mr. D’Arcy due to my manufacturing business in the paintball gun market and apparently Mr. D’Arcy believed that there may be some synergy,” Italia said in court papers.
Roundhill pledged in court documents to bring back at least 200 workers. They could eventually add hundreds more, but details are not clear.
Roundhill partners did not respond to calls and emails asking about their plans. But Italia told WUTR-TV last week they plan to bring back as many workers as possible within “a couple of months.”
Local officials believe a number of pieces need to be in place before production starts, from a collective bargaining agreement with the union to a new federal firearms license.
One likely product would be Remington’s Model 870 shotguns, said Jamie Rudwall, a district representative for the union. He said the new owners can rely on a trained workforce to produce shotguns for a hot market.
The FBI reports that it has processed more background checks to purchase or possess a firearm in the first nine months of 2020 than any previous year.
“We certainly have that capability of putting every single person back to work at 870s making literally between 1,200 and 1,800 every day. And every one of them will be sold,” said Rudwall, who once worked at the plant.
The UMW said it has held “productive discussions” with Roundhill. Meanwhile, it also has excoriated the outgoing owners for terminating 585 workers this week along with their health care and other contractual benefits. The union said the company is refusing to pay severance and accrued vacation benefits, sparking pickets in Ilion this week.
Local officials say the new owners have also expressed concerns about the efficiency of the old four-story factory, preferring a modern one-floor plant. Vincent Bono, chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature, met with them Thursday and said he believes something can be worked out to keep keep the long local tradition of gun production alive.
“We’re optimistic that Remington’s going to have a home here,” Bono said. “To what degree, we really don’t know.”
ILION, N.Y. – Former Remington Arms workers and community members gathered in Ilion Wednesday to rally against the company, after employees were notified they would not receive the severance and benefits promised in their contracts.
Many carried signs, some saying “Honor the Contract” and “United We Stand with Remington Workers.”
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the union that represents the Remington workers, organized Wednesday’s rally after union President Cecil E. Roberts called the refusal to pay severance “outrageous” and “a slap in the face” earlier this week.
The workers are hoping this will push the former factory owners to pay what the union says they owe through the collective bargaining agreement.
“Basically, it’s to get what’s owed. What’s owed through the contract. What they promised us, you know. In the contract, they promised us severance pay if we were to get laid off. They promised us payment for our unused vacation time. None of that stuff — they don’t want to pay,” said former employee Jeff Madison. “I guess my 19 years in there don’t mean nothing to them people.”
Another rally is planned Thursday outside Franco’s Pizza, 6 Central Plaza, at 10 a.m.
Local politicians have showed support for Remington workers, including Congressman Anthony Brindisi, Sen. Chuck Schumer and congressional candidate, Claudia Tenney.
Brindisi attended Wednesday’s rally, and sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of the workers.
“These hard working men and women deserve to be treated with dignity and they deserve the benefits they fought for. Remington is trying to leave this community and these workers high and dry, but we aren’t going to let them. I am calling on the National Labor Relations Board to step in and investigate this issue,” he said.
Tenney, the Republican candidate in the 22nd Congressional District race, also attended the rally.
“I want to say to the Remington workers – you’ve always had my back and I will always have yours. You have made firearms of the highest craftsmanship for generations and you are the heart of our community. This is a tragedy of epic proportions but we will keep fighting for you, your families, and your rights and we will come out stronger,” she said. “I’ve spoken to White House officials and they are on top of it. The message has gotten to President Trump. The Treasury Department and Department of Labor are engaged. You will not be forgotten and I will keep fighting for your livelihoods, rights, and our community because it’s the right thing to do.”
Schumer released the following statement on Wednesday as well:
“I stand in solidarity with the men and women of the United Mine Workers of America as they fight for their heard-earned benefits callously stripped away by Remington Arms. Generations of Remington workers in Ilion made billions of dollars in profits for this company and they deserve better. Today, I am calling on Remington to do what’s right and fulfill the commitment they made to their loyal and productive workers. I am also calling on the National Labor Relations Board to investigate whether any laws were violated by this outrageous action.”
ILION — It was through a voicemail that Jeff Madison learned that he, and hundreds of other workers with the Remington Arms plant in Ilion, were laid off.
Remington Outdoor Company announced the move Friday, terminating the employment of the Ilion plant’s 585 workers by Monday, while cutting off their health care and other contractual benefits at the end of the month.
The company also said Remington would not pay severance and accrued vacation benefits — despite the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with union employees, according to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
The layoffs are the latest chapter for Remington workers in Ilion, who faced uncertain futures as Remington Outdoor Company assets were auctioned off to individual bidders amid the company’s latest bout with bankruptcy. The sale of the Remington plant in Ilion to the Roundhill Group, LLC was approved late last month in federal bankruptcy court.
Representatives from Remington and Roundhill could not be reached for comment Monday.
UMWA Local Union 717 has filed grievances against Remington under the agreement, while the UMWA International Union is exploring additional legal action, union representatives said.
Amid the legal feud, Madison — president of Local 717 — and Remington’s other workers are coping with the immediate fallout.
“I’ve been there 19 years,” Madison said. “Apparently, I wasn’t worth anything. They don’t want to abide by the terms of the contract.”
Benefits a major concern
Madison was joined Monday morning by several other UMWA members at union headquarters on First Street in Ilion.
Martin Seamon commented that he just wants to see the new owners get the Ilion plant up and running so he can get back to work. Chris French agreed.
Union members are concerned with the loss of medical benefits. By law, workers can continue their health insurance coverage through COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act).
“That’s expensive,” French said.
The elimination of benefits, including disability, makes for additional problems for employees, said Jackie Sweeney, recording secretary for Local 717. She spoke with an employee who was on disability after undergoing heart surgery two weeks ago.
French said some are blaming the new owners for the decision to eliminate benefits, but that is not the case. The Remington Outdoor Company made that decision.
As part of the announcement, a Remington Arms representative advised workers to make appointments to pick up personal belongings and return any company property.
When asked about the number of vehicles in the Arms parking lot Monday, Seamon and French said there were still salaried workers at the plant along with 22 hourly employees who handled maintenance, plumbing and electrical work.
Layoffs ‘extremely frustrating,’ state officials say
Madison said most workers have been collecting unemployment since they were furloughed at the end of September.
“A lot haven’t received their paychecks yet,” Sweeney said, adding that state and federal representatives have offered assistance through their offices.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office deferred comment to the state Department of Labor.
A spokesperson for the Labor Department said the agency has been providing assistance to Remington employees since the middle of the summer, when the company filed a notice under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires companies to alert the state prior to any mass layoffs.
“Our team has been working with impacted employees since the WARN notice was first filed this summer and will continue to provide support, including job placement assistance,” said Deanna Cohen, the agency spokesperson.
The state’s Jobs Express website, which culls job listings from across the state, has 2,500 current openings listed in the Mohawk Valley, Cohen noted.
“We stand ready with the resources to connect unemployed New Yorkers with these jobs,” Cohen said.
Meanwhile, the area’s state and federal representatives decried the actions of Remington Outdoor Company and express support for workers.
The Remington layoffs, along with the union’s claim that the company won’t pay out severance and vacation time, drew a rebuke from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat.
“Remington Arms should fulfill the commitment they made to their loyal and productive workers throughout the Mohawk Valley and pay them their rightfully deserved severance and benefits with all due speed,” Schumer said in a statement.
State Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, and other state officials said they remain in communication with the Roundhill Group about bringing Remington employees back to work. Roundhill is working to receive a federal firearms license, Seward said.
“The action is extremely frustrating and I stand with the union as they work to resolve these issues and provide workers with the benefits they have earned and deserve,” Seward said.
Both Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy, and Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford, said the workers are entitled to their severance and medical benefits. Empire State Development, the state’s economic development arm, has been asked to work with the new owners, Buttenschon said.
“The members of the United Mine Workers of America Local 717 have kept this business in operation and produced some of the finest firearms in the world,” Miller said. “They deserve far better than this. … Severance and vacation benefits are guaranteed to the workers and they must be honored.”
Donna Thompson is the government and business reporter for the Times Telegram. For unlimited access to her stories, please subscribe or activate you digital account today. Email her at donna@timestelegram.com.
Halloween celebrations and trick-or-treating look a bit different this year. We have plenty of crafty ways for you to safely trick-or-treat while maintaining social distancing! We also have a huge list of union-made candy for your festivities.
Socially distant trick-or-treating alternatives:
Get a Halloween piñata
Halloween is all about the candy and what better way to deliver the treats than with a bang?! Both kids and adults will love to partake!
Go on a scavenger hunt
A spooky scavenger hunt is the perfect activity for kids, with hidden clues around your house or backyard, and a sweet treat as the prize.
Make “boo” baskets
Your child can create their very own “boo” basket with an assortment of festive Halloween goodies. You can even throw in a few toys for an extra surprise!
The union who represents the Ilion Remington Arms employees says 585 employees were notified by the company on October 23, they were being terminated effective Oct. 26.
ILION, N.Y. – The United Mine Workers of America, the union that represents the Ilion Remington Arms employees, says 585 employees were notified by the company on Oct. 23, they were being terminated effective Oct. 26.
According to a release sent by the United Mine Workers of America, the company is also cutting off contractual benefits like healthcare, severance pay and accrued vacation on Oct. 31. The union says the company is obligated to pay severance and vacation under the collective bargaining agreement.
UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement on Sunday, Oct. 25:
“This outrageous action by Remington Outdoor company is a slap in the face to the employees who built that company into the best firearms manufacturer in the world. UMWA Local Union 717 has already filed a series of grievances under our collective bargaining agreement, and the UMWA International Union is exploring further legal action.
“Our members at Local Union 717, their families and their communities have been on an emotional roller-coaster the last several months. First the company filed for bankruptcy and it looked like the Ilion plant would close for good. Then the union was successful in encouraging a potential buyer to keep jobs in Ilion, and that buyer was able to purchase the plant in the bankruptcy process.
“We are now working with the new company to get the plant reopened and start putting our members back to work. But the old, failed Remington had one more kick in the pants for our members.
“If they think they can get away with this without a fight from the UMWA they had better think again. Our members in Local Union 717 earned those benefits. We are going to do everything we can to ensure that they get them, and then continue working to get the plant reopened under new ownership as soon as possible.”
Consider these five distracting driving habits and how to change them:
Eating or Drinking: Hot coffee spills, greasy hands or stray crumbs could distract you from the road. Eat before you get behind the wheel or after you’ve reached your destination. If you need a snack now, find some place off the road to stop.
Making hands-free calls: You may not take your hands off the wheel, but calls can take your mind off the road. Turn off your phone’s Bluetooth capabilities before you drive off, and silence your phone to help prevent temptation. If you really need to make a call, safely pull over to talk.
Messing with dials or controls: Adjusting volume, looking for a radio station, plugging in GPS directions or turning up the heat diverts your eyes from the road. Take care of all of the above before shifting into gear. If you must make adjustments, wait until you come to a complete stop at a stoplight, pull over safely, or ask your front-seat passenger to handle them.
Paying attention to other passengers: Young children and infants can be up to eight times more distracting than adult passengers, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Make sure your little ones have something to occupy them. Or stop the car and pull over safely before investigating the cause of screaming or crying.
Applying makeup or shaving: The vanity mirror blocks your eyes from the road. Give yourself enough time before leaving home to finish getting ready.
