Member of the Navajo Nation Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Source: Phoenix News Times

March 17, 2020

 

A member of the Navajo Nation has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Navajo Department of Health.

On Tuesday, a 46-year-old individual from Chilchinbeto, Arizona, a community on the Navajo Nation known as Tsii’chin Bii’ Tó in Navajo language, was confirmed to have COVID-19.

After first reporting symptoms at the nearby Kayenta Health Center in Kayenta, Arizona, the individual was transferred to a hospital in Phoenix, where the Arizona Department of Health confirmed the positive test result, according to a press release from the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President.

It’s the first case within the Navajo Nation, a tribal nation larger than 10 U.S. states.

“We have health and emergency experts who have been planning and preparing for this situation for several weeks,” said Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, in the release. “We call upon our Navajo people to do their best to remain calm and make good decisions by staying home to prevent the spread of the virus among our communities.”

Health and emergency officials are taking the proper precautions to screen and isolate the person’s family members, he added.

Nez said his office is in close contact with officials from the Kayenta Indian Health Service Unit, Arizona Department of Health, Navajo County, and Navajo Area Indian Health Service to inform the public and implement necessary precautions moving forward.

In light of this first confirmed case, Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer urged the Navajo Nation Council, the legislative branch of the Navajo government, to convene to discuss appropriating funds to address the pandemic.

The Council failed to approve a $3 million funding request to the Department of Emergency Management earlier this week to purchase additional COVID-19 test kits, respirators, masks, and other preventative equipment earlier.

 

 

The Navajo Agricultural Products Industry is contributing $1 million to help the Nation address the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the press release.

As of today, the death toll has reached 100 in the United States. There are 20 confirmed cases within Arizona.

Nez and Vice President Lizer will provide more information about the confirmed case of a Navajo community member live at 4 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday on Navajo radio station KTNN, which is broadcast in northern Arizona on AM 660 and 101.5 FM. If the public has questions, Nez encouraged people to contact the Navajo Health Command Operations Center at 928-871-7014.

Meanwhile, Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation closed temporarily due to COVID-19 concerns, as did the four Navajo casinos.

 

By: Hannah Critchfield

Black-Lung Coal Miners Facing Serious Threat from Virus Spread

Source: Bloomberg

March 12, 2020

 

We’re tracking the latest on the coronavirus outbreak and the global response. 

 

The biggest labor union for U.S. coal miners is warning that members are at “significant risk” from the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

Mines are enclosed spaces where the highly contagious virus can easily spread, said Phil Smith, a spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America. The trade group is developing guidelines that it plans to issue to members soon, he said by email Thursday.

 

 

Miners also face greater health risks. As many as 20% of long-time miners may have black lung in central Appalachia, a historic bastion of U.S. coal production that includes parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. That would be an underlying health condition that could exacerbate the symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus that was officially labeled a pandemic on Wednesday.

Overall in the U.S., about 10% of coal miners could have black lung disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The CDC report on black lung studied miners who have worked in the industry for more than 25 years.

Old age adds another risk factor for the Covid-19 virus, said Anna Allen, a West Virginia doctor who cares for black lung patients. While there are no reported cases in West Virginia, the virus has been spreading quickly across the U.S. “Eventually it’s going to come to West Virginia,” said Allen, who’s also an associate professor at West Virginia University’s School of Public Health.

By: Will Wade

Union Plus Credit Card Program

Source: Union Plus

 

  • Card options for all members

    Choose the card that works best for you, whether you want to build credit with responsible card use, have low interest rates or earn cash back.

  • U.S.-based phone service

    Enjoy 24/7 phone customer service for when you need support or have questions.

  • Competitive rates and features

    Take advantage of competitive interest rates, valuable Mastercard® benefits and more.

  • Union Support

    This card has your back, with hardship grants for eligible cardholders after 3 months, plus everyday rebates and discounts.

 

 

Who Can Apply for a Union Plus Credit Card

The Union Plus Credit Card program is available to the following in the United States:

  • Dues-paying labor union members of participating unions
  • Retired labor union members
  • Working America members

Many union family members may be eligible for the Union Plus Credit Card program as well.

Credit approval required. Terms and conditions apply. The Union Plus Credit Cards are issued by Capital One, N.A. pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

 

To view the full site click here.

Senator Manchin Named Honorary UMWA Member

Source: manchin.senate.gov

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

 

Manchin Named Honorary UMWA Member

 

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was named an honorary member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). Senator Manchin received this honor for his relentless work over the last 5 years to secure pensions for 92,000 coal miners and their widows and healthcare benefits for 36,000 coal miners.

“My grandfather, Papa Joe, started working in the mines at nine years of age and I will never forget his stories of how hard he worked and fought for his fellow miners to have the dignity and respect every miner deserves. I lost my Uncle John, classmates from high school, friends and neighbors in the 1968 Farmington No 9 mining disaster. I know the hard work and risk our miners take every day to provide for their families but also the patriotic pride they have in providing our great nation with the power we needed to win wars and propel us to become the world power we are today. Standing alongside the UMWA members while they fought tooth and nail to secure the pension and healthcare benefits they rightfully earned has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Today I am humbled to be recognized as an honorary member of this great organization and to be brought in as one of their brothers. I am incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished together for West Virginia coal miners and their families and all miners across America. Thank you to Cecil Roberts and the entire UMWA membership for this tremendous honor,” said Senator Manchin.

“No one — no one — worked harder on getting this legislation passed than Joe Manchin. He has been a voice of reason on Capitol Hill since his election. Tens of thousands of miners, their families and widows have so much to thank him for, because he has literally saved their lives. We honor him today, but we will never forget what he did for us,” said UMWA President Cecil Roberts.

 

 

Please click here for photos from the ceremony.

Union Plus Scholarships

Source: Union Plus

 

The Union Plus Scholarship Program

 

  • Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $4.5 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education.
  • Over 3,000 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.) See eligibility in the tab below.

 

The Facts 

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.

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 2020. Students may re-apply each year.

 

Union Plus Does Your Budget Need to Recover from the Holidays?

Source: Union Plus

 

Ring in a new year free of financial stress. Find out if a personal loan could be right for you!

 

What is a Personal Loan?

  • A personal loan allows you to borrow a fixed amount (generally up to $50,000) that you pay back in monthly installments over the life of the loan (typically 12-84 months).

 

What can I use a personal loan for?

  • Consolidate debt.
  • Pay for unexpected expenses.
  • Finance projects and life events

 

How am I approved?

  • The lender decides if you qualify based on your financial history and ability to afford ongoing payments of the loan.
  • Borrowers with the highest credit scores typically receive the lowest rates.

 

Click here to read full article

 

 

 

A personal loan can help you accomplish your financial and personal goals through available funds that are easy to manage based on your preferred term and loan amount. With the Union Plus® Personal Loan, you can take control of your financial future.

 

GET STARTED NOW!

On His 14th Record, Love Commits Me Here, Singer-Songwriter Tom Breiding Celebrates Dedication To A Cause

Source: Pittsburgh Current

 

“It’s my love of what I do, my love of where I come from, and love for where I’ve found myself, with some of these people I’ve met.”

There’s a prayer that Tom Breiding used to say as a child. He’s forgotten most of it now, but one line remains in his mind: “Love commits me here.”

He chose that line as the title to his 14th album, which he released earlier this month. It shows up in the title track, which pays tribute to the love shared between his parents, while also mourning the hatred and violence of our world. And it finds its way on to “Fannie Sellins,” which tells the story of the union organizer who was murdered in 1919. “An angel of mercy, a guardian dear.” Breiding sings gently, in true and stirring admiration of a martyred hero. “A battle for freedom and love committed her here.”

That song was written to be performed at Sellins’ grave site in Arnold, PA on the 100th anniversary of her death. Breiding had already written around the phrase by then, but when he started writing about Sellins, he recalls, “That line was perfect: Love committed her here.”

“Love is such a positive word to use anyway, and it means a lot of things,” Breiding says over coffee at Kaibur in Polish Hill a few months ago.  “It’s my love of what I do, my love of where I come from, and love for where I’ve found myself, with some of these people I’ve met.”

In other words, Breiding’s music — and his life — has developed into its own act of commitment by love.

Part of that commitment is to telling the story of the American labor movement. As the artist- in-residence for the United Mine Workers of America, Breiding provides music for union rallies, among other things. In 2016 he played for an audience of 10 thousand as part of an event petitioning the U.S. government to fulfill its promise of cradle-to-grave healthcare for America’s coal workers.

Though he’s been declared “the greatest labor singer in the United States today” by UMWA president Cecil Roberts, Breiding is careful not to overstate his role. “There’s no way I’d ever want to inflate that or take credit where it’s not due,” he says. But, he allows, music can be a potent aid to political struggle. “The songs that I wrote were written directly for the cause, in some cases calling out CEOs by name, and it’s a powerful thing,” he says.  It really stirs the emotions. It certainly made the rallies more colorful and successful.”

Breiding didn’t come from a union family, and never considered himself particularly political growing up.  But music was a big part of his West Virginia childhood. “[My mother] loved to dance, she would sing to us,” he says. Music was always playing in the house, and in the car. Breiding particularly connected with the music he heard on A.M. radio in the ’70s. “There were these incredible storytellers writing songs and ballads, people like Jim Croce, or even simple hits like “The Lights Went Out in Georgia” he says. “I was drawn to that storytelling aspect.” When he started seriously pursuing songwriting, he turned to the big three of heartland rock — Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and John Melloncamp — for inspiration.

True to his influences, Breiding wrote story-driven, folk-based rock about his surroundings. But over time, “I had kind of exhausted the themes of things that came naturally to me, writing about the rivers and the hills and the railroads and the steel mills and the blue collar people,” he says. He then turned to the history of the coal miners. “My research pointed me to this incredible history that I knew very little about. And i just started writing songs about these events and before I knew it, I realized, ‘I’m actually telling the history of the United Mine Workers.’”

In August of 2018, Breiding was commissioned by the UMWA to write a song in commemoration of the 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster, a West Virginia mine explosion that killed 78. The song, “Farmington No. 9,” which opens Love Commits Me Here, is a testament to Breiding’s powers as a songwriter. He presents an unthinkably tragic story simply, carefully, without sensationalizing, and but with an emotional urgency that makes the listener feel like it happened last week.

Breiding enlisted guitarist and recording engineer Daniel Marcus to play on and produce the track. “He sent me a copy of the finished product and I loved everything about it. I loved his guitar part, I loved the sound of it. It was such a special song to me that I felt like it really needed a home,” Breiding says. Using “Farmington No. 9” as his compass, he started writing songs that would fit with it on a record. “Whether it was the mixes, or the overall sound of things,” he says, “[Marcus] kind of redefined my sound.”

Breiding and Marcus met serendipitously, a couple of years ago, when Marcus happened to be walking past the Leaf and Bean in the Strip District, where Breiding performs regularly.

“I heard Tom’s music and I stopped to listen,” Marcus says over the phone. Seeing a second guitar on stage, he asked Breiding during a set break if he could sit in on a couple songs.

Marcus laughs, remembering. “I think he was kind of hesitant because I was just some stranger. But he trusted me, and I ended up sitting in and playing some songs and we had a great time.”

Having spent many years working with singer-songwriters in New York, and now in Pittsburgh, Marcus knows the genre. “I love when songwriters kind of lay it out on the table and are brutally honest, and Tom definitely has that,” he says. “He really is a folk singer in the true sense —  it’s not just pretty acoustic music, but he really has a strong message … and he’s really trying to help people, and educate people.

“I just really appreciate that, how earnestly he goes about that. And how much he cares about his message.”

Love has committed Breiding to do the work of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, but he’s the first to admit that he found this path almost by accident

Early on, when the UMWA invited him to perform for a rally in St. Louis, he admits, “It was kind of a selfish thing, like, ‘How cool is this? I’m going to be playing in front of three thousand coal miners and their families.’”

But when he got there, “I saw these people getting off of buses with canes and walkers, some of them had oxygen tanks. And I started talking to them, and they were telling me about their ailments and how important this healthcare was.

“That was it. I went home and i started to write. I wrote for the cause. It all came from the heart.”

Written by: Margaret Welsh

Drama Group prepares for centennial of Matewan Massacre

Source: Williamson Daily News

MATEWAN — The award winning Matewan Drama Group recently met at the UMWA Local 1440 Union Hall in downtown Matewan to discuss plans for the annual Matewan Heritage Day, which will also mark the centennial of the deadly Matewan Massacre.

Donna Paterino, who started the drama group in 2000 and has been there since the first re-enactment as both director and a performer, said that everything she has done for the past two decades has been leading up to this year.

“Twenty years ago when we started, it was all leading up to this,” Paterino said. “I’ve waited 20 years for this year, the 100th anniversary of the historic Battle of Matewan.”

The Battle of Matewan, also known as the Matewan Massacre, was a deadly shootout among local officials, coal miners and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency that left 12 people dead in the streets of the small coal mining town.

The Matewan Massacre Drama Group always performs two re-enactments of the deadly events that occurred in downtown Matewan during the annual Matewan Heritage Day, which is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16.

Paterino said that in the year 2000, former Matewan Mayor Johnny Fullen and U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall secured a $3,500 grant through the Matewan Development Center from the Appalachian Regional Commission for the first re-enactment.

“The first thing that happened after we got that grant, a man named Alfred Collins came to see me and said, ‘I want the local UMWA on board, they need to know what you are doing,’ “ Paterino said. “So, we have had the support of our Local 1440 since the beginning.”

Collins was the president of the Local 1440 at the time. Now his son, Frank Collins, serves as the president. Collins attended the meeting and said the drama group does a good job of preserving their history and making sure that it carries on.

 

Members of the Matewan Drama Group met recently inside the UMWA Local 1440 Union Hall to discuss plans for the centennial of the Matewan Massacre which occurred May 19, 1920.

 

Paterino said they make it a point to not change what happened on that day in May 1920, and have added a new scene every year.

“We aren’t in the business of selling tickets; this isn’t Hollywood,” said Eric Simon, who plays the part of Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield. “History is history, you can’t change it. People need to know what their fathers and grandfathers fought for all those years ago.”

Chris Gray, who plays the part of Mayor Cabell Testerman and has been a member of the drama group since 2002, said the drama tells an important part of West Virginia history that is often overlooked.

“I grew up in nearby Welch in McDowell County, right where Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers were gunned down,” Gray said. “Growing up, for the most part, I didn’t hear anything about this. I didn’t even hear about it in West Virginia history. They kind of glossed over that when I was in school.”

The drama group, which received the Coal Heritage Achievement award in 2013, will once again perform the Matewan Massacre Drama two times on Matewan Heritage Day, with the first performance at 11 a.m. and the second at 3 p.m.

Paterino said this year’s drama will include a new scene where the crowd will have to follow the actors across town to the former BB&T Bank building, which is going to be the new home for the Mine Wars Museum. The building is also going to be named after UMWA President Cecil Roberts.

“We’ve never received any money for what we’ve done over the years, and we aren’t professionally trained actors,” Paterino said. “We’re just a group of volunteers who come together each year to tell a story that needs to be told.”

The theme for this year’s Matewan Heritage Day is “honoring all who fought for freedom and justice,” according to Paterino.

As part of the event schedule, Huntington native Jim Lackey will host a mining scrip display from companies all over West Virginia. Christy Bailey of Coal Heritage will also present a walk through the history.

There will also be a 1920-era vintage car cruise-in, and they are inviting attendees to dress in clothing styles from that period. Sundown will perform live music during intermissions of the re-enactment.

The winners of the annual student poster contest will also be announced and receive special recognition. The competition is for eighth grade art students in the county, and the posters will be judged by the local UMWA. They need to be submitted by Feb. 14.

Paterino also wanted to invite all cast members who have taken part in any of the previous seasons to come for a reunion photo and invited all local crafters to participate in the flea market.

“Every year we do this, we try to make every year special to honor those families that were affected all of those years ago, but this year will be extra special,” Paterino said.

Anyone interested in being a part of the cast for the Matewan Massacre Drama or who wants to set up at the annual flea market can call Paterino at 304-235-0484.

Written by:

President Roberts Named Co-Chair of the Mother Jones Statue Committee

January 30, 2020

 

President Roberts was named an Honorary National Co-Chair of the Mother Jones Statue Committee by the Mother Jones Heritage Project.

 

Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was once labeled “the most dangerous woman in America” by a U.S. district attorney. She was a fearless organizer for the United Mine Workers and a staunch advocate for workers in their struggle for justice.

 

President Cecil E. Roberts’ great-grandmother, Sarah Blizzard, fought along side Mother Jones in the Paint Creek – Cabin Creek Strike of 1912. “Mother” Blizzard and “Mother” Jones once even participated in a march where they allegedly struck policemen with their umbrellas.

 

The Mother Jones Heritage Project is working to place a statue in her honor in the city of Chicago. They wish to recognize “a woman whose grit and determination overcame a life of terrible hardship” and “rose from her own despair to become a powerful advocate for the worth of every person, including mine community women, reaching across lines of gender, color, class and national origin.”

 

To find out more information about this project click here.

 

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia recognizes UMWA members from Southwest Virginia

The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax, recognized UMWA members from Southwest Virginia on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, for their unwavering determination and successful efforts to secure the pensions and health care of our nation’s miners.

Pictured below are some of the members from Virginia who walked the halls of Congress demanding the government to “Keep the Promise” and secure the retirement benefits our miners earned and deserved.

UMWA Secretary-Treasurer Levi Allen was also recognized for his leadership and support during the ten year fight.

Lieutenant Governor Fairfax attended this year’s 30th Anniversary of the Pittston Strike held at the Russell County Fairgrounds in Castlewood, Virginia. He has been an avid supporter of our fight and we thank him for his recognition.