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UMWA invites presidential candidates to go underground, meet miners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 9, 2019

[WASHINGTON, DC] Cecil E. Roberts, International President of the United Mine Workers of America, yesterday sent letters to all the candidates for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, inviting them to come to a union coal mine and go underground.

“Coal miners are very concerned about their future, and their families’ futures.” Roberts said in the letter. “They want to know that those who are running for President share that concern and have some understanding of what they do and why they do it. They want to talk to you, and they have a right to be heard.”

Roberts sent the letter at a time when the sector of the coal industry that produces steam coal, used as fuel for electricity generation, is under great stress. Coal-fired power plants are disappearing at accelerating levels, with 289 closed since 2010. Fifty have closed just since January, 2017. This has caused further coal company bankruptcies, including last week at Blackjewel LLC in Wyoming, where 600 miners found themselves unemployed with no notice whatsoever.

“While the steam coal sector reels from shock after shock, the workers inevitably end up taking the worst blows,” Roberts said today. “The Trump administration rolled back several regulations that would have made things even worse, yet the market has not recovered and steam coal production jobs are still being lost. If the market and public policy trends we are seeing today continue, American coal production will soon be limited only to the type of coal used to make steel, which is just 20 percent of all coal mined in this country.”

Most Democratic presidential candidates have endorsed the Green New Deal or offered similar plans that would hasten the closure of coal-fired power plants and the mines that feed them. Those plans fall far short of the kind of specificity needed to give miners a sense of comfort that their families’ lives will not be completely disrupted.

“These candidates are promoting plans that will put hundreds of thousands of people associated with the production, transmission and generation of coal-fired power out of work in a relatively short period of time,” Roberts said. “But if all they offer in return are jobs as solar panel installers, making $14 an hour working as contractors with no health insurance, no paid time off from work and without the protection of a union contract, how can they expect a miner to happily accept that deal?

“That’s why I invited the candidates to come to the mines,” Roberts said. “They owe it to these workers to meet them face to face, tell them their plans and then just listen. They may get an earful, but that is the only way to start the dialogue that needs to happen. This action is not about who we are supporting for President, it’s about finding out who is supporting us.”

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Mining Unions Call For a New MSHA Silica Standard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2019

 

(Pittsburgh) – Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, and Leo W. Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers International Union, today called for a new standard to protect miners from silica dust. The request came in a letter to David Zatezalo, the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Silica is believed responsible for a large rise in cases of black lung disease among coal miners in central Appalachia. In the past, the primary cause of black lung was thought to be coal dust, but as coal seams become deeper and thinner, miners are cutting through more waste rock, much of which is high in silica.

Silica is many times more dangerous to miners’ lungs than coal dust, and ordinary diagnostic techniques cannot distinguish between the two causes of respiratory disease. The epidemic of black lung has been widely reported in the scientific literature and the press, including major stories on National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting’s Frontline.

In addition, silica causes both lung cancer and silicosis, another deadly dust disease, which has not been eliminated in metal and mineral mines. OSHA set a new silica standard in 2016, cutting the permissible exposure limit in half, but MSHA has yet to follow suit.

“Black lung afflicts thousands of coal miners,” Roberts said. “We know what causes it, we know how to prevent it, yet miners are still getting it. MSHA took action in 2014 to reduce respirable coal dust. Now it must act to reduce silica exposure, and quickly.”

“All miners need this standard, surface and underground, no matter what they’re mining,” said Gerard. “This Administration says they love miners. Let’s see if they mean it.”

The UMWA represents 105,000 active and retired miners, clean coal technicians, manufacturing workers, health care workers, public service workers and corrections officers in the United States and Canada.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service, public and health care sectors. For more information: www.usw.org.

UMWA, BCOA reach agreement on wage reopener

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 13, 2019

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Bituminous Coal Operators Association (BCOA) that will result in a $1.00 per hour wage increase over the remaining life of the existing agreement and the restoration of a holiday for the workers represented by the Union.

            The parties agreed to a wage increase of 50 cents per hour effective August 15, 2019 and another 50 cents per hour increase effective January 1, 2021. Additionally, the parties agreed, effective January 1, 2021, to restore the birthday holiday that UMWA members gave up when the current agreement was ratified in 2016.

            “We are pleased that the parties were able to reach this reopener agreement that recognizes the hard work our members have done over the last two and a half years since the current contract was ratified,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “They have not had a raise for more than three years and they deserve one. Under this agreement, they will have two.”

            The National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement of 2016 runs through December 31, 2021, and covers all Murray Energy subsidiaries in Northern Appalachia where the workers are represented by the UMWA.

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UMWA wins mine pre-shift inspection decision in U.S. Circuit Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 12, 2019

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit yesterday sided with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the United Steelworkers international union (USW) in a suit the two unions brought to vacate a 2018 Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) amendment to a 2017 rule that that allowed for safety examinations of metal/nonmetal mines to occur while miners were in the mine and working. The 2017 rule, which is now in effect again as a result of the Court’s ruling, requires such examinations to take place before miners began their shift.

The UMWA and USW argued that allowing mine operators to do the examination while miners were working put them at risk because dangerous conditions could exist that threaten miners’ health and safety. The Court agreed, saying, “because the 2018 Amendment allows miners to work in an area before the examination is completed, there is the likelihood that miners may be exposed to an adverse condition before it is discovered.”

“This is a victory for miners everywhere,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “Metal and nonmetal miners can now be more confident that their workplace is as safe as it can be before their shift starts, instead of learning about a safety hazard after they are already in the mine.

“All miners, whether working in a metal/nonmetal mine or a coal mine, should celebrate this ruling because it prevents MSHA from rolling back critical safety and health standards,” Roberts said. “If the agency had been allowed to get away with this, there is no question that we would soon be looking at a host of other attempts to reduce safety standards in every mine in America.”

The case before the D.C. Circuit is #18-1116.

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Bloomberg attacks Appalachian families, communities once again

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 10, 2019

 

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

“Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has demonstrated his contempt for the working families of Appalachia and other coal-dependent communities once again with his $500 million pledge to destroy every American job associated with coal by 2030. Instead of taking a rational approach to addressing the issue of climate change, he has pledged to throw more than 800,000 people out of work and destroy their families and communities while he’s at it.

“Bloomberg is not just interested in throwing coal miners and their families in the ditch, he is throwing utility workers, electrical workers, building tradespeople, boilermakers, laborers, railroad workers and more in the ditch as well. And his action contributed to the assault on pensions and health care of retirees his Wall Street buddies began in 2008 when they cratered the American economy and caused a worldwide recession.

“And if he is successful, the only thing he will have achieved by 2030 is to put all those families on the economic chopping block, because simply ending coal-fired power in the United States will have no actual effect on global greenhouse gas emissions. Nations in Africa, Asia and South America already have hundreds of coal-fired power plants under construction, all built without the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology that will be needed to truly address climate change.

“His money would be much better spent on helping to more rapidly develop CCS so that it can be commercially applied in America and across the globe. But since he apparently doesn’t have the vision to see that, he should at least team up with his buddy Tom Steyer and donate $2 billion or so to the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan, since he has been such a driving force in putting it in critical and declining status. At least then he would be doing something to help Appalachian families and communities instead of destroying them.”

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West Virginia’s Senate leadership’s union busting is an embarrassment to our state

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 4, 2019

[CHARLESTON, W.VA.] United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today, after the passage of legislation by the West Virginia Senate that includes language that would prohibit strikes by teachers and school support personnel and subject them to being fired if they participate in a picket line:

“Once again, the Republican leadership in the West Virginia State Senate have demonstrated that they are mere tools of the radical out-of-state billionaires who pull their puppet strings. No one who actually cares about West Virginia schools, children and families would ever propose such meaningless nonsense, let alone codify it in legislation.

“Teachers and school support personnel already do not have the right to strike in West Virginia, but they ignored that and demonstrated the power of solidarity in each of the last two years. Their fight for better education for our kids remains an inspiration to education professionals across the nation, and the UMWA was proud to stand with them.

“From the Baldwin-Felts thugs at Paint Creek and Cabin Creek to Sherriff Chafin at Blair Mountain to Don Blankenship at Massey Energy, the UMWA has a long history of standing up to union-busting bullies in West Virginia. Mitch Carmicheal and his minions in the Senate are no different, and we will never back down to their kind.

“Let me make this very clear: If our state’s education workers believe they need to take to the streets once again, we will be there with them. And if someone comes to arrest them, they will have to go through us first.”​

 

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NAACP sends letter to Ways and Means leadership, calls for passage of miners’ retirement legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2019

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) today sent a March 21, 2019 letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) asking them to consider and pass H.R. 934, the Health Benefits for Miners Act and H.R. 935, the Miners Pension Protection Act as soon as possible.

The letter said, in part, “passage of this legislation to preserve retired miners’ pensions is a key legislative priority of the NAACP…. As such, we strongly urge you to advance these bills through your committee and on to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as quickly as possible.”

“Throughout our history, the NAACP has advocated for people who are struggling against adversity,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. “Retired miners and their widows fit that description today. Their benefits are at risk through no fault of their own, and Congress is the last resort to save them. This cannot wait any longer; Congress must act as fast as possible.”

“We are extremely appreciative of this strong support from the NAACP,” United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “Their support for our retirees and widows lifts the hearts and spirits of every one of us. Theirs is a powerful and clear voice on behalf of millions of working people in this country, and we are proud to have their support as we continue our fight to preserve earned retirement benefits for our members.”

H.R. 934, by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) preserves health care benefits for retirees of coal companies that went into bankruptcy in 2018, and H.R. 935 preserves pension benefits for some 106,000 current and future coal industry retirees across America.

For more information on both these bills, click here.

To see the entire letter click here.

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UMWA seeks wage increase in reopening collective bargaining agreement with BCOA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 20, 2019

 

UMWA seeks wage increase in reopening collective bargaining agreement with BCOA

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that it had provided notice to the Bituminous Coal Operators Association (BCOA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service that the union is reopening the current collective bargaining agreement for the purpose of negotiating a wage increase.

The signatories to the current BCOA agreement are all subsidiaries of Murray Energy Corporation. The agreement became effective August 15, 2016 and contains provisions that allow for either side to reopen the contract, specifically to bargain over wages.

“We have 2,000 active members working at Murray Energy who have not had a raise since January 1, 2016,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “They saved the company from going into bankruptcy when they ratified the current agreement, which did not have any wage increases and included modifications in their health care benefits and other provisions, in August, 2016.

“Since that time, their hard work and tremendous productivity have brought Murray back from the financial brink.” Roberts said. “Today it is a successful, profitable, expanding company. There really should be no impediments to the two sides sitting down and reaching a fair agreement.”

Roberts sent a letter yesterday to Murray Energy asking to begin bargaining as soon as possible. “It has been three and a half years since these workers have had a pay raise,” he said. “They have more than earned it; it’s the right thing to do. Let us get started and get this simple matter of fairness for the people who do the hard work to make the company successful taken care of. I am ready to get started right away.”

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UMWA demands OSHA involvement in the investigation of member’s passing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 29, 2019

UMWA demands OSHA involvement in the investigation of member’s passing

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

“The hearts and prayers of the entire UMWA family are with the family of Zack Kromer, a 26-year old member of UMWA Local Union 2291, who was killed on the job on Friday, March 22, 2019 at Advanced Disposal, in McClellandtown, PA.

 “As of today, our safety experts have been denied access by the company to begin our investigation to determine the cause of this tragedy. 

“The response to this incident by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also been severely disappointing. To date, OSHA has only agreed to hold, what they call, a “fact finding mission” and refuse to conduct an investigation on what happened the night of the accident.

“The UMWA is demanding Advanced Disposal permit the union access to the property in order to conduct our own investigation into the cause of the accident. 

“We are also calling on OSHA to do its job and conduct a thorough investigation on this preventable tragedy. We will not rest until the cause is understood so that it never happens again.

“It is shocking to see an agency that is charged by law with ensuring workers’ safety be so indifferent about protecting the lives of the American workforce.

“The family of Brother Kromer deserves better, and we will continue to raise this issue at every level of government until OSHA steps up and does what it is supposed to do.”

UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Levi Allen also released the following statement concerning the events that have taken place in the last week. 

“I would just echo that, it is shameful that we have to turn to the court of public opinion to demand justice when a government agency, whose very existence has come about through the blood of working men and women, dishonors the working life of a 26 year old man and leaves a family to question why he is not worthy of a full investigation as to the cause of his tragic and untimely death.”  

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Vietnam War Veterans Day 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 29, 2019

United Mine Workers of America, International Union President Cecil E. Roberts encourages the membership of the UMWA and all Americans to take time to honor the women and men who served their country in the Vietnam War.

“From November 1, 1955 until April 30, 1975 over 2.7 million young men and women left their homes and this Country to serve in the Vietnam War.  In that time, 58,202 of these brave Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation.  While the names of each can be seen on the granite wall in Washington, DC, it does not tell the story of the lives they lived, the people they loved or the men and women they may have become.  They were husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, uncles, aunts, sisters and brothers, they were the children and young adults of proud parents who dreamed of them changing the world one day.  Today they are remembered as the soldier, the sailor, the marine, the airman and nurse who left their home to protect ours.”

“Today there are fewer than 850,000 surviving Vietnam Veterans.  That is less than one-third of the total number who served.  Unfortunately, with the aging of the individuals, the effects of Agent Orange exposure and the physical and emotional trauma these veterans have experienced they suffer a mortality rate far greater than the general public.  With an estimated 390 Vietnam Veterans passing each day there will be few, if any alive in just 10 years.”

“March 29, 2019 is designated as National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day with ceremonies to be held across the Country.  March 30, 2019 is designated as West Virginia Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day, a ceremony is scheduled at the State Capitol in Charleston.  I would ask everyone who is able to make every effort to attend one of the services.”

“As a Vietnam Veteran myself, I know first-hand the pride and honor of serving my Country in that war and the unrest and heartache that Vietnam Veterans experienced upon their return home.  The men and women, who sacrificed so much to defend the principles of our Nation during the Vietnam War, never got a parade or a formal welcoming home ceremony.  They were not hailed as heroes for serving in southeast Asia, as other returning Military Veterans were in past wars.  But it is never too late to honor their service.  It is never too late to welcome them home.  And it is certainly never too late to show respect to these Veterans as a citizen of a grateful Nation.  I would encourage everyone to attend a Vietnam Veterans Day service in their community.”

President Roberts will be at the Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia on March 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. to offer his remarks in honor those who served in the Vietnam War.

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