Press Release Archive - United Mine Workers of America

UMWA Members at ACNR and Iron Senergy Ratify New Agreements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16, 2025

UMWA Members at ACNR and Iron Senergy Ratify New Agreements

[TRIANGLE, VA] — The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that workers employed by American Consolidated Natural Resources, Inc. (ACNR) and Iron Senergy have ratified new collective bargaining agreements.

“This is a critical win for our members and their families,” said International President Cecil E. Roberts. “At a time of growing uncertainty in the coal industry, these agreements are the result of hard-fought negotiations that protect the rights and futures of UMWA miners. I want to congratulate Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson, his Executive Assistant Mike Phillippi, and the rest of the UMWA negotiating team for their outstanding work in securing these contracts. Their persistence and dedication made all the difference.”

“These were not easy negotiations, but our members stood strong on their principles and would not be moved,” said Sanson. “We went to the table determined to fight for what our members deserve, and we succeeded in negotiating contracts that our members overwhelmingly ratified. This is proof of the power of unity and solidarity.”

The five-year agreements secure significant improvements in wages and other contract provisions with no changes to health care or other benefits. The agreements cover more than 2,000 UMWA members at all ACNR operations in West Virginia and Ohio, and at Iron Senergy’s Cumberland mine in Pennsylvania.

UMWA Announces Tentative Agreement with American Consolidated Natural Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 18, 2025

UMWA Announces Tentative Agreement with American Consolidated Natural Resources

[TRIANGLE, VA] – The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced that it has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with American Consolidated Natural Resources Inc (ACNR), covering members of UMWA Locals 1110, 1473, 1501, 1638, and 9909.

A contract explanation meeting will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, for all affected members. Following the meeting, members will have 48 hours to cast their votes on whether to ratify the tentative agreement. Consistent with union practice, details of the agreement will not be released publicly until after the ratification process is complete.

“I want to commend Secretary-Treasurer Sanson and the entire UMWA bargaining team for their tireless work at the table during these negotiations,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “This agreement is the product of their determination and commitment to our members. But as always, the final decision rests with the membership. It is their right, and their responsibility, to determine whether this contract meets their needs.”

Another Silica Rule Delay is a Death Sentence for Miners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2025

Another Silica Rule Delay is a Death Sentence for Miners

[TRIANGLE, VA] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today condemned the U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision to push back implementation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) long-overdue Silica Rule until October. The delay stems from a lawsuit filed by the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), an industry not even affected by the rule until 2027, while coal miners remain exposed to deadly silica dust.

“This delay is simply a death sentence for more miners,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “The fact that an industry association with no stake in coal mining can hold up lifesaving protections for coal miners is outrageous. The Department of Labor and MSHA should be fighting to implement this rule immediately, not kicking enforcement down the road yet again. Every day they delay, more miners get sick, and more miners die. That’s the truth.”

The Silica Rule was designed to lower the allowable level of respirable crystalline silica in mines, a toxic dust proven to cause black lung and other deadly lung diseases. Instead of fighting to put these protections in place immediately, the Department of Labor is allowing them to be delayed for the second time this year.

“This is bureaucratic cowardice, plain and simple,” said UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson. “We’ve buried too many friends, too many fathers, and too many sons because of black lung. Bowing to corporate interests doesn’t solve the problem; it puts more miners at risk. The science is clear, the rule is needed, and the delay is shameful.”

“Every American worker deserves to come home from work with their lungs intact, miners included,” Roberts said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Contact MSHA TODAY. Tell them to protect our miners. Enforce the Silica Rule.

Email: AskMSHA@dol.gov

Phone: 202-693-9400

UMWA Supports Nomination of Lanny Erdos for OSMRE Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 23, 2025

UMWA Supports Nomination of Lanny Erdos for OSMRE Director

[TRIANGLE, VA] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee urging the confirmation of Lanny Erdos as Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). The UMWA cited Erdos’s experience, past leadership at OSMRE, and strong working relationship with labor as key reasons for its support.

“Mr. Erdos understands the real-world impacts of policy on working miners and their communities,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “He also understands the importance of cleaning up America’s abandoned mine lands and we look forward to participating in that effort.”

Click here to view a copy of the letter.

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UMWA Announces Tentative Agreement with Iron Senergy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 19, 2025

UMWA Announces Tentative Agreement with Iron Senergy at their Cumberland Mine in Waynesburg, PA

[TRIANGLE, VA] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that it has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with Iron Senergy for its Cumberland mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

UMWA members will hear a contract explanation at a meeting early next week and then will hold a ratification vote two days later. Details of the tentative agreement will not be released until after the ratification vote.

“I commend Secretary-Treasurer Sanson and our entire negotiating team for their hard work in reaching this tentative agreement with the company. But let me be clear, this decision belongs to the membership and the membership alone. It is ultimately up to them to determine whether this agreement meets their needs and whether they choose to ratify it,” said International President Cecil E. Roberts.

The UMWA represents approximately 500 members at Cumberland Mine, which utilizes longwall mining.

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UMWA Sends Urgent Letter to Congress Warning of Grave Dangers in Reconciliation Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 27, 2025

UMWA Sends Urgent Letter to Congress Warning of Grave Dangers in Reconciliation Legislation

[TRIANGLE, VA] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today sent a letter to United States Senators from coal-producing regions urging them to oppose the current reconciliation legislation under consideration in Congress. The letter, authored by UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts, highlights the devastating consequences the legislation would have on coalfield communities, particularly due to proposed cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and critical public services.

While the reconciliation bill promises significant tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, it does so at the expense of working families, rural hospitals, veterans, Black Lung clinics, and government employees, many of whom live and work in coal-producing regions.

“This legislation isn’t just a bad idea, it’s a dangerous one,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “It strips resources from the very people who keep our country running; miners, veterans, public servants, and their families, just to give billionaires a bigger tax break. Cutting off health care access, closing Black Lung clinics, and turning our backs on working-class communities is not how we move forward as a nation.”

In the letter, President Roberts warns that Medicaid cuts will hit rural America hardest, leading to hospital closures and reduced access to care. Black Lung clinics, which provide vital care for miners suffering from this deadly disease, would be among the hardest hit. The UMWA also raised serious concerns about cuts to benefits that support veterans and government workers, as well as threats to future job creation in energy and manufacturing across the coalfields.

“We are calling on our elected officials to stand with the people who sent them to Washington,” Roberts added. “This legislation must be reconsidered, and the voices of coalfield communities must be heard before irreversible harm is done.”

Click here to read the full letter sent to members of Congress

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UMWA President Roberts to Speak at “Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 5, 2025

UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts to Speak at “Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally” in Washington, D.C.

[TRIANGLE, VA] — United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts will speak tomorrow at the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally, a major national event organized by the AFL-CIO and inspired by the historic 1932 Bonus Army movement. The event will take place on June 6, 2025, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., at 2:00 p.m. and brings together veterans, labor leaders, and allies from across the country.

A proud Vietnam veteran, President Roberts served in Vietnam with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade from 1967 to 1968. In recognition of his continued advocacy for fellow veterans and their families, he was awarded the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Commendation Medal in 2016, the organization’s highest honor.

“As someone who has seen firsthand the cost of war and the sacrifice of those who serve, I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my fellow veterans in this critical fight,” said Roberts. “We must defend the VA, protect good union jobs in public service, and hold our nation accountable for the promises it made to every man and woman who put on the uniform.”

The Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally is a nonpartisan, veteran-led call to action demanding dignity, accountability, and the full delivery of benefits and services promised to veterans and their families. The gathering aims to safeguard the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), protect union jobs that support veterans, and ensure America lives up to its moral obligation to those who served.

More information about the rally is available at www.unite4veterans.org.

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UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts Condemns Cowardly Layoffs at NIOSH, Warns of Dire Consequences for Worker Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 3, 2025

UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts Condemns Cowardly Layoffs at NIOSH, Warns of Dire Consequences for Worker Safety

[TRIANGLE, VA] — United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today in response to the sudden and disgraceful layoffs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that occurred yesterday evening:

“What happened at NIOSH last night is nothing short of shameful. Telling hardworking, dedicated employees that they no longer have a job at 6:30p.m. on a Friday — after the workday is done and with no forewarning — is cowardly, heartless, and utterly unacceptable.

“Let me be clear: this is not just an attack on jobs. This is an attack on the very foundation of worker safety in the United States of America. The dismantling of the Respiratory Disease Division at NIOSH is not just a bureaucratic shuffle. It is the elimination of our nation’s leading defense against black lung disease and other respiratory illnesses that afflict miners and workers across this country.

“This division is responsible for developing life-saving coal dust and silica monitors. It runs the miner X-ray surveillance program. It oversees MSHA’s Part 90 program — a program that literally exists to save the lungs and lives of American coal miners.

“Now, with the stroke of a pen and the cowardice of an evening layoff notice, those protections are being stripped away. Who is going to monitor dust levels in our mines? Who will ensure the next generation of miners doesn’t end up with the same black lungs as their fathers and grandfathers?

“The United Mine Workers of America will not stand by silently while decades of progress are gutted overnight. This isn’t just detrimental — it’s catastrophic. It’s detrimental to coal miners. Detrimental to American workers. Detrimental to American families.

“The UMWA’s number one focus has always been, and always will be, the health and safety of our members. We will fight tooth and nail to ensure these programs are restored, these protections are preserved, and that our nation never forgets the sacrifices miners make to power this country.”

UMWA, USW Disappointed by Court’s Denial of Motion to Intervene in Silica Rule Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 30, 2025

UMWA, USW Disappointed by Court’s Denial of Motion to Intervene in Silica Rule Case

United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the United Steelworkers (USW) issued the following statement today regarding the Eighth Circuit Court’s decision to deny their motion to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association seeking to overturn the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) silica dust rule:

“The court’s decision to exclude the voices of workers from this case is profoundly disheartening. They are the ones whose lives are on the line, yet they are being shut out of a process that directly affects their health and their future.

“Despite this ruling, we will not stop fighting to ensure that mine workers are protected from silica exposure. Every day this rule is delayed is another day that miners are exposed to the deadly dust that causes the worst forms of black lung – an incurable disease that this rule will help to prevent.

“We remain determined to hold accountable those who seek to undermine worker protections and will continue to press for full and immediate implementation of the silica rule. We sincerely hope that MSHA remembers its primary responsibility is to keep miners safe and healthy on the job and joins us in that fight sooner rather than later.”

UMWA, USW Fight to Uphold Life-Saving Silica Protections for America’s Miners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 14, 2025

UMWA, USW Fight to Uphold Life-Saving Silica Protections for America’s Miners

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), joined by the United Steelworkers (USW), filed a motion in federal court today to intervene in the ongoing administrative review proceeding concerning the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) defense of the Silica Rule, which is crucial for the health and safety of UMWA members and the nation’s miners.

“Our mission has always been to protect the health, safety, and dignity of those who do the hardest work in America’s mines,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “If we don’t stand up now, we risk condemning a new generation of miners to the same suffering that past generations endured. That is not a future we are willing to accept.”

The unions’ intervention is warranted by MSHA’s decision to hold enforcement of the rule in abeyance until August, according to the motion filed today. “The sudden shift in litigation position signaled by MSHA’s “enforcement pause,” and by its unilateral proposal to hold this case in abeyance for a period of four months is a clarion call to this nation’s miners that the Agency charged with the profound responsibility of protecting their health and safety is losing the stomach for the fight to vindicate its own rule,” the UMWA and USW argued.

“As long as miners continue to work beneath the earth, we will continue to fight for their safety on the job,” International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson said. “No job should come with a death sentence.”

The Silica Rule provides essential workplace protections against respirable silica dust, a significant hazard faced by miners today. Without these protections, UMWA members face increased exposure to this dangerous substance, which is the leading cause of serious respiratory illnesses among miners, particularly affecting young and early-career workers. The potential loss of the Silica Rule could lead to debilitating respiratory conditions, including silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, as well as premature deaths and lifelong disabilities.

Click here to view a copy of the motion.

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