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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: JARRID McCORMICK Williamson Daily News

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.

 

 

UMWA Makes Donation to RS Police Department

Source: SweetWaterNOW

ROCK SPRINGS — During the January 21 Rock Springs City Council meeting, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Local 4893 President Les Mauch announced that the union would be donating $5,193 to help the Rock Springs Police Department purchase new load bearing vests.

Many police departments are moving away from traditional duty belts and instead using load bearing vests. Research has found that duty belts contribute to hip and lower back problems, which are the most common health problems for police officers.

Mauch said that after researching the benefits of load bearing vests, he learned it was a health and welfare issue for the officers. Duty belts can weigh as much as 30 pounds, and cause significant strain to the hips and lower back. Mauc said that he weighed one officers belt and it came in at 29 pounds.

 

 

When Mauch discovered the problems caused by duty belts and that there was a simple solution, he knew it was something union members would be happy to pitch in and help out with.

“I’m proud that as a group we came together for the health and welfare of our officers, for the city and for our citizens,” Mauch said.

With the UMWA and the police department splitting the cost, all Rock Springs police officers will soon be outfitted with load bearing vests and literally have a weight off their backs.

I think it’s a win win situation and the offer from the very beginning is something I thought was just a fantastic offer. Standup by the union in the interest of the city employees and their health. I just appreciate that,” Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo said.

Written by: Sam Ferrara

A Letter From A UMWA Member

Finally, the passage of the American Miners Act.

To the International and District Leadership: You had a plan, you executed that plan and you kept us focused. This would not have happened without you. Thank you.

To the UMWA Staff: No one will ever know how many hours you spent organizing rallies, making phone calls, sending emails, lobbying Congress, etc. This would not have happened without you. Thank you.

To my Union Brothers and Sisters: We live in different regions of the country. We have different religious and political beliefs. Some would think that would us a group divided. They would be so wrong. This union comes together like no other and that is what makes it so special. You made the rallies, made the phone calls, sent the letters, sent the emails, and lobbied Congress. This would not have happened without you. Thank you.

To the members of Congress: Some of you were on board early, some later, and some not at all. To those of you that voted for this bill’s passage, Thank you.

To those that did not support this legislation, we vote. We will remember.

To God: You answered the prayers of thousands of people. You used the people I have previously mentioned as your tools to secure this passage. Thank you.

Amen

Scott A. Thomas

UMWA Local 1613

 

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Coal Mine’s Closure Leaves Hopi, Navajo Homes Without Heat This Winter

Source: KNAU Arizona Public Radio

The Kayenta coal mine in northeastern Arizona shut down last year, along with the power plant it supplied. Coal from that mine used to light up Las Vegas and Los Angeles and supply the electricity to pump water to Phoenix and Tucson. Those cities have been able to turn to other sources of energy. Not so on the Hopi and Navajo Nations. For decades tribal members relied on Kayenta coal to heat their homes, and now it’s their first winter without reliable or affordable fuel. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports on what Hopi community leaders call a devastating crisis.

The Kayenta Mine is a 2 hour drive from Monica Nuvasma’s home in Shongopovi on Second Mesa. Before the mine closed she used to go there to collect coal for her grandmother. She recalls waiting in line for 10 hours, “and when we got to the entrance the mine had closed by 3 o’clock. There were many families who were leaving before midnight the day before just to be parked in line.”

But Nuvamsa says the drive was worth it. Two or three truckloads of coal could warm a house all winter. “Coal economically works better because it burns longer, you don’t need as much in order to heat your home,” she says.”

Losing coal has led to a public health crisis on the Hopi Nation. There are few other options for heating homes. Propane and space heaters are expensive, and many houses don’t have electricity. Trees are scarce; the nearest places to buy or cut wood are hours away by car.

Nuvasma says, “I think that that’s a really difficult thing for most people to grasp, when they just turn their thermostat or push a button, and they get the heating.”

One nonprofit, Red Feather Development Group, is trying to ease the hardship created by Kayenta’s closure. The group runs workshops on alternative heating options, and hires contractors to weatherize houses so they hold the heat better. Joe Seidenberg, the executive director, says, “There are people that are living with extreme housing disparities, with major holes in their roofs, with cardboard windows,  that… are at a real risk for freezing to death.”

Seidenberg says Red Feather installed 5 solar powered furnaces and weatherized or made repairs on 91 homes last year on Hopi and Navajo. But the group is limited by funding and has a long waitlist. Kayenta’s closure affects 9,000 people on Hopi and 170,000 on Navajo.

“It is truly an injustice that this is happening in the United States of America,” Seidenberg says.

One of Red Feather’s customers is Chelsea Sekakuku. Contractors add insulation and fix broken windows in her 80-year-old stone house in Kykotsmovi Village on Third Mesa. Sekakuku burns wood in her coal stove now. “I’m having to get up twice a night to check the fire, make sure it’s still going. I’m having to chop wood beforehand, in the morning, in the evening.”

It takes Sekakuku and her three children a full day to gather a truckload of wood, which only lasts one week. “It’s just a lot of physical work,” she says. “And not everyone is able to afford wood, but it’s a necessity now.”

Melissa Alcala is the community service administrator for the Village of Tewa on First Mesa. She started a new program this winter in response to Kayenta’s closure to get regular deliveries of wood from the White Mountain Apache Timber Company.

Workers chop the timber into small sizes called Soh’so wood, the Hopi word for grandmother. Alcala explains, “We cut them up into Soh’so woods, so they’re not heavy to lift. We want to make it as easy as possible for elders to keep warm.”

The village sells the wood for $240 a cord, but Alcala says elders get a supply for free, “because some of them are burning their clothes now. They’re burning weeds … It kills me to not be able to help. However I only service this village.”

Some Hopi blame the tribal government for not preparing better for Kayenta’s closure. But Vice Chairman Clark Tenakhongva says the U.S. government bears responsibility for forcing Hopi to mine coal that made the Southwest’s cities flourish, while the reservation remains in poverty. The Hopi Nation lost 80 percent of its tribal budget when coal royalties ceased.

Tenakhongva says, “I’m just hoping, just hoping, that we do not lose anybody throughout this season to any kind of exposure.” He says this winter many must choose between eating and keeping warm.

Written by:

Coal pensions: Bill provides reassurance to miners

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette 

January 2, 2019

It took more than four years of lobbying and pleas for help, but the nation’s retired and active coal miners finally got what they very much deserve — reassurance that their pensions would remain intact.

Included in the federal spending plan signed by President Donald Trump was the bipartisan American Miners Act, a bill that will use excess funds from a federal abandoned mine reclamation program to strengthen the United Mine Workers of America retirement plan.

The funding couldn’t come a moment too soon for the UMWA plan that was headed for insolvency by 2022. With the coal industry in a downward spiral, the pension plan faced nearly insurmountable challenges — huge investment losses from the 2008 financial crisis, dozens of coal company bankruptcies and continuing layoffs.

In 2017, only about 10,000 active miners were paying into the fund, while nearly 120,000 were drawing pension checks, including 13,000 retirees in Pennsylvania. About $15 million goes into the fund a year — from workers and coal companies — but payouts total about $600 million.

UMWA officials, worried that the pension fund was headed to the financial brink, rallied support in 2015 from senators in coal-mining states, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. The proposal to use funds from the abandoned mine program, though supported by many lawmakers, stalled because Republican leadership questioned supporting a bailout for a labor union. Miners and union officials have spent the last four years convincing lawmakers that the need is real and immediate.

Many multi-employer pension funds managed jointly by labor unions and employers find themselves in financial peril. The UMWA situation is unique in that widespread job cuts can be traced directly to stricter environmental regulations and the move to natural gas as a cleaner-burning fuel source. Using funds from the abandoned mine program to shore up the pension fund is the logical move, given that the program is funded by coal companies.

The mine workers’ pension fight underscores a bigger issue facing Congress as a growing number of multi-employer pension plans are badly underfunded. That puts further pressure on the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which guarantees pensions but finds itself in a precarious financial position if forced to take over those failed plans. Even more ominous for pensioners is the fact that once PBGC takes control of the plan, benefits can be cut by as much as half.

Some lawmakers held up action on the UMWA pension proposal, arguing that Congress should address the issue of all underfunded pension plans, rather than singling out one for relief. Underfunded plans certainly demand a comprehensive approach by lawmakers, but it would have been unconscionable to fail to address the impending crisis facing UMWA members.

Coal miners, for decades, have performed dangerous work that carried with it long-term health risks, all the while fueling the nation’s power plants and steel mills. A guaranteed pension is the least they deserve in retirement.

Westmoreland and Estevan mine employees reach new deal

The over 300 employees of the Estevan Mine, members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Local 7606, ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement on Dec. 16.

Collective bargaining between Westmoreland Mining LLC and the UMWA Local 7606 began on July 30 and the parties were able to reach an agreement after numerous bargaining sessions.

 

 

Jody Dukart, international auditor/teller for the United Mine Workers of America, said in a press release: “Our world-class professional workforce has a proud history of protecting and furthering the rights of workers.

“The recently ratified memorandum of the agreement continues to provide a competitive compensation and benefits package that provides quality jobs and supports low-cost, reliable, baseload electrical power for the people of Saskatchewan.

“While we may have been unable to agree upon every issue at the bargaining table, our ability to work together through difficult issues is a testament to our strong relationship and a great example of collaboration towards achieving mutually beneficial solutions.”

Tom Shaw, general manager of the Estevan Mine, added: “The coal industry is facing strong headwinds and faces strong competition from natural gas and renewable competitors.

“With our primary customer being at the forefront of carbon capture technology – both development and utilization, our Estevan mine is uniquely positioned to continue to play a role in the Saskatchewan energy portfolio.

“Over the past months, we have worked collaboratively with the UMWA to gain efficiencies that will better position ourselves as a low-cost producer and extend our competitive advantage. This ratified collective agreement will provide labour stability for the next four years and allow us to continue environmentally-responsible, safe production, and remain the fuel source of choice in Saskatchewan’s power industry.”

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