Archives: Press Release

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Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visits a UMWA coal mine, sees production first hand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2021

[TRIANGLE, VA] United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“I commend Energy Secretary Granholm for coming to West Virginia and going underground at the Harrison County Mine with Senator Joe Manchin to see for herself the hard, dangerous work our members do to energize our nation. Our union has been asking for more than a decade for someone with authority in Washington to tour a mine and meet these workers face to face. I am so glad that she stepped up and did that, and I thank Senator Manchin for facilitating it.

“Coal miners want to know that their jobs, their families and their communities are being considered as decisions are being made about the future of their industry. They want the decision-makers to know that they have done everything asked of them, they have built and maintained their communities, and they deserve more than a pat on the back and political mumbo-jumbo about some sort of ‘just transition.’

“There never has been a just transition in this country. Never. It’s not reasonable to expect that there will be one now. That’s why the UMWA issued our Energy Transition Initiative, to create a true transition focusing on three main goals; preserving UMWA jobs, creating new coalfield jobs and preserving UMWA families and their communities. Secretary Granholm has heard our voices, and that is a good start.

“We will continue to work with the Department of Energy and others in the Administration on this critical issue, and fight for our Principles as Congress considers legislation that will accelerate the transformation of the nation’s energy marketplace. UMWA members have fulfilled a critical role in our nation’s history, and the union is doing everything we can to ensure that they continue to do just that for many decades to come.”

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UMWA to begin Warrior Met Unity Rallies, pay strike benefits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 12, 2021

 

 

[MCCALLA, ALA.] The International Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International union held a special meeting today to discuss the strike at Warrior Met, Inc., by around 1,000 members of the UMWA in Alabama.

“The Warrior Met miners have overwhelmingly voted to continue this strike,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “The union is mobilizing its entire resources to support them.”

The UMWA Board reiterated its support for the strike, including unanimously supporting President Roberts’ decision to call the strike on April 1, the vote of the membership to continue the strike on April 9, and the efforts of the Union’s negotiating committee led by International Secretary-Treasurer Levi Allen.

Roberts announced the union will begin holding “Unity Rallies” in the Brookwood, Ala., area for members, families and community supporters to build solidarity and hear from local and national allies.

The union is also contributing $50,000 to establishing a relief fund for workers and families. Details for those wishing to contribute to that fund will be available later this week on the UMWA’s website, www.umwa.org.

Later this week, the union will pay roughly $600,000 in the first wave of bi-weekly strike benefits to dues-paying members who have participated in strike activity.

The union has also purchased health care insurance for striking members and families.

 

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Strike Continues for UMWA members at Warrior Met Mines

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 9, 2021

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that its members working at Warrior Met in Bessemer, AL did not ratify a tentative agreement that had been negotiated with the company and will remain on their unfair labor practice strike.

 

“Our members made it clear that the tentative agreement was not sufficient enough to make up for the sacrifices made in 2016,” said International President Cecil E. Roberts.

 

“So, the UMWA will continue to strike at Warrior Met until an agreement can be reached that provides these miners what they deserve.

 

“This is a democratic union. The membership has the final say in what their collective bargaining agreements look like,” Roberts said.

 

“The decision was theirs to make and they have the full support of UMWA District 20 and the International union. We will continue negotiations with the company.”

 

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Tentative agreement reached at Warrior Met

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 5, 2021

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that a tentative collective bargaining agreement has been reached between the UMWA and Warrior Met Coal, Inc.

 

The union is not releasing details of the agreement until its members have heard them and held a ratification vote. Miners at Warrior Met have been striking since 10:00 p.m. on April 1.

 

“I am so very proud of our members at Warrior Met for standing up for themselves, their families and their communities,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said.

 

“Going on strike is a difficult thing to do, but they have shown tremendous unity on the picket lines. Their story is being told across the world right now, and it is one of strength, determination and solidarity.

 

“The decision to begin this strike rested with me. The decision to end the strike now rests with the membership of the union at Warrior Met,” Roberts said.

 

“If they ratify this tentative agreement, the strike will end and they will have a new contract. If they do not ratify it, the strike will continue and we will seek further negotiations with the company.”

 

Contract explanation meetings will be held on Wednesday, April 7. As per the UMWA Constitution, the ratification vote will be held 48 hours after the explanation meetings at each Local Union among dues-paying members in good standing.

 

The vote will be on Friday, April 9. The results of the vote will be announced as soon as it is certified by the UMWA’s Auditor/Tellers.

 

 

UMWA reaches letter of agreement with RemArms to pave way for reopening of Ilion plant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 2, 2021

 

[ILION, N.Y.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that it has reached a letter of agreement that will pave the way for reopening the former Remington Arms plant here.

 

The letter formalizes language between the union and RemArms, the plant’s new operator, that recognizes the union as the hourly employees’ collective bargaining agent when they return to work, establishes a recall process for more former Remington workers to be called back, and sets up a 60-day timeframe for the parties to begin negotiating a full collective bargaining agreement that will be in effect upon ratification.

 

“This letter of agreement was a long time in the making,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “It is the first step toward reestablishing a normal relationship between the union and the operators of that plant, one that will allow the professional craftspeople who have built firearms in Ilion to return to doing what they do better than anyone.

 

“There is more to do here,” Roberts said. “The company needs product to sell and we fully understand and support that. We are pleased that UMWA members will soon be going back to work at the plant, if the company holds to its expected timetable. The next step is to negotiate a full collective bargaining agreement that the members can ratify and then get operations fully back to normal.

 

“Our members in Central New York have been through a lot the past year,” Roberts said. “They suffered many setbacks. But they never gave up, they never gave in, they never wavered from their determination to fight for their jobs and their union. They have been the driving force that has led to this day, and I could not be prouder of them.”

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UMWA issues strike notice at Alabama’s Warrior Met Coal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 31, 2021

UMWA issues strike notice at Alabama’s Warrior Met Coal

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) yesterday afternoon issued an unfair labor practice strike notice at Warrior Met Coal, Inc., to begin at 10:30 p.m. CDT on April 1, 2021. The notice covers more than 1,100 workers at all of the company’s operations, including the #4 mine, the #5 preparation plant, the #7 mine and its Central Shop.

“Our members are the reason Warrior Met even exists today,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “They made the sacrifices to bring this company out of the bankruptcy of Walter Energy in 2016.

“These productive, professional miners at Warrior Met mined the coal that meant the company could become successful again,” Roberts 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.

“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.

“Despite repeated attempts by our negotiating team to bridge the differences we have at the bargaining table, Warrior Met is going backwards,” Roberts said. “We have always been ready to reach a fair agreement that recognizes the sacrifices our members and their families made to keep this company alive. At this point, Warrior Met is not.”

The UMWA has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board relating to Warrior Met’s conduct during negotiations, and expects to prevail on the merits of those charges.

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 is procuring health care coverage for members and their families for the duration of the strike.

“Nobody in their right mind ever wants to strike,” Roberts said. “But sometimes the company’s actions and disregard for the welfare of workers and their families forces a strike. This is one of those times. Our members at Warrior Met should know that they have the full backing of the entire International Union and working families across Alabama, the United States and the world. Despite Warrior Met’s apparent appetite for this conflict, we will prevail.”

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Honoring America’s Vietnam Veterans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 29, 2021

Honoring America’s Vietnam Veterans

[TRIANGLE, VA.] As the United States marks National Vietnam War Veterans Day, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President and Vietnam veteran Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“Although it has been more than 50 years since I came home from Vietnam, the memories are never very far away. More than 2,700,000 young Americans served in Vietnam, more than 58,000 names are etched in the black granite of the Wall in their honor in Washington, D.C.

“We must never forget their sacrifice, nor the bravery and commitment of those who faced combat yet still came home. For all those who served with honor but were never welcomed back to this country, I say ‘Welcome Home.’

“And for those of my Vietnam veteran friends in West Virginia, which will mark Vietnam War Veterans Day tomorrow, March 30, I sincerely wish we could all gather together as we usually do. I am already making plans to be in Charleston for this event in 2022, and I hope to see you there as well.”

Note: The UMWA’s National Vietnam War Veterans Day commemoration video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkebqsb_EYw

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Gayle Manchin the perfect choice for Appalachian Regional Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 26, 2021

 

[CHARLESTON, W.VA.] Commenting the appointment by President Biden of Gayle Manchin to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

 

“I applaud President Biden for his appointment of Gayle Manchin to be co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. She is the perfect choice. She has been deeply involved in the hard work of improving the lives of people in Appalachia for decades and has demonstrated her commitment to creating opportunities for all its people over and over again.

 

“Her work with the Reconnecting MacDowell initiative that we are involved with, along with the American Federation of Teachers and others, has brought a bright new ray of hope to thousands of working families in that southern West Virginia county that has been so devastated by the loss of coal jobs and the tax base that goes with them.

 

“Gayle is a true force of nature who will be a tremendous asset to the Commission as we all work to preserve and expand job opportunities and rebuild already devastated communities throughout Appalachia. We stand ready to work side by side with her in this critically important task.”

 

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UMWA contract negotiations with Warrior Met ongoing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 18, 2021

 

[MCALLA, ALA.] The United Mine Workers of America’s (UMWA) negotiations with Warrior Met Coal, Inc., are entering the last two weeks before the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.

The current agreement, which was negotiated as Warrior Met emerged from the bankruptcy proceedings of the former Walter Energy, will expire at midnight on April 1, 2021.

“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.”

The UMWA represents more than 1,100 workers at Warrior Met’s #4 Mine, #5 Mine processing plant, #7 Mine and the company’s Central Shop, all located near Brookwood, Ala. The miners are members of UMWA Local Unions 2245, 2397, 2368 and 2427.

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UMWA statement on introduction of SCALE Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 17, 2021

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on the introduction of the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions Act (SCALE Act), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

 

“The SCALE Act is a key component of the infrastructure that will be required to develop and deploy Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology as widely as possible, and the UMWA is wholeheartedly in support. This is one of the first critical steps needed to dramatically reduce carbon emissions while creating new jobs and preserving existing coal jobs into the future.

 

“Congress must build on this legislation by significantly increasing the resources needed to further develop CCS technology for commercial-scale applications so that we can deploy this game-changing technology at coal-fired power plants within the next 10 years. Hundreds of thousands of coalfield jobs depend on it, millions of American citizens will benefit from it. Let’s get this done.”