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UMWA mourns passing of USW President Conway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

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

“The prayers of the entire UMWA family are with the family and co-workers of our Brother, United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway, who passed away today.

“Tom was my friend. I served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council with Tom and he was an inspirational leader who was always in the forefront of the fight to better workers’ lives. He was an organizer, a negotiator, and in many ways a trailblazer who cared about his union, its members and their families.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to our brothers and sisters at the USW for their loss. Our hearts are with them on this dark day.”

Michael Bloomberg takes dead aim at coal miners, families and communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on the announcement that Michael Bloomberg is donating $500 million to fund a campaign to prematurely close every coal-fired power plant in the United States, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

 

            “Michael Bloomberg has coal miners, their families and their communities in his sights once again. Not satisfied to have killed tens of thousands of their jobs in the last decade, devastating families and communities throughout America’s coalfields, he and the environmental groups who do the actual dirty work for him have decided the time has come to wipe them all out for good.

 

            “The United States and much of the world are in an energy transition, the devastating cost of which is placed squarely on the backs of traditional energy workers and their families. The UMWA has proposed ways to accomplish a true transition that changes that dynamic and does not leave these workers behind.

 

“We have worked with responsible parties inside and outside of government in an effort to move forward while protecting our members, their families and their communities. They agree with us that there will be no justice in this transition unless workers and their families are put first.

 

            “But Mr. Bloomberg’s announcement makes no mention of what will happen to the workers and their families. It makes no mention of the devastation he has already brought to Appalachia and elsewhere, which he is now doubling down on. He makes no provision to help workers by providing training opportunities or incentives for new job creation in the coalfields.

 

            “That comes as no surprise, because he has never respected workers or their families in his entire career. But he, and the organizations he is funding, can rest assured that we and our allies inside and outside the labor movement will fight back. We do not have $500 million to throw around, but we do have the faces and voices of hard-working American families whose lives and livelihoods are at even greater risk today.”

Tommy Tuberville is putting American soldiers at risk

By: Cecil E. Roberts, International President, United Mine Workers of America and Chairman of the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO

When I was serving ten miles from the DMZ in Vietnam in 1968, it would not have occurred to me that a politician could single-handedly chop off the head of my chain of command. But that is exactly what Sen. Tommy Tuberville is doing. His actions to deny promotions to more than 250 generals, admirals and other top officers in our nation’s military are putting our armed forces at risk. And it is getting worse by the day.

Heads of services have not been confirmed. Brigadier and Lieutenant Generals remain in limbo. The Marine Corps has no Commandant. If our forces in Europe or in the South Pacific had to suddenly engage an enemy, hundreds of officers who would normally be making critical operational and logistical decisions would not be in place. Sen. Tuberville’s reckless actions would put tens of thousands of troops and sailors at an immediate disadvantage if the conflict was to come their way.

Our nation is not currently involved in large-scale hostile action today, and we should all be thankful for that. I have been in war. I have been shot at, and I have shot back. My prayer is that our nation’s young men and women never have to find themselves in that position ever again.

But if they do, they need to be ready. And without a functioning chain of command, the readiness of our armed forces is severely degraded. At a time when war is raging in Europe for the first time in nearly 80 years – a war that could rapidly spiral into a wider conflict – Sen. Tuberville’s actions put every soldier, every airman, every Marine, and every sailor at greater peril should they be called upon to defend our allies and our nation.

But of course, Sen. Tuberville has no idea about how our military works. He never came close to putting on our nation’s uniform. He does not understand what “chain of command” means in an army or navy. All he understands is that he has a unique power and he is going to use it, even though no Senator has ever used this power to put our nation’s security at risk.

I understand that Sen. Tuberville is acting in protest of an issue that he strongly believes should be addressed. I do not begrudge him his beliefs. But there are ways to make that point without putting our nation – and those who defend it – in a weaker position.

The notion that one person, elected by the people of just one state, can have the power to hold hostage our entire military and its chain of command is outrageous. The Senate must put an end to this charade and take steps to see that it can never happen again.

I still remember what it was like going out on night patrols from our position on top of a hill outside Da Nang, and wondering if my platoon would get back the next morning. I thank God there weren’t Senators like Tommy Tuberville around then. We may not have.

Cecil Edward Roberts, Jr., a sixth-generation coal miner and Vietnam Veteran, became President of the United Mine Workers (UMWA) of America on October 22, 1995, having served as Vice President of the union since December 1982.

NLRB Rules in Favor of UMWA, Blocking Decertification Vote at Warrior Met Coal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

 

NLRB Rules in Favor of UMWA, Blocking Decertification Vote at Warrior Met Coal

 

TRIANGLE, VA – The Director of Region 10 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Lisa Henderson, has ruled in favor of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), blocking a decertification vote at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, Alabama. The UMWA has claimed that the decertification attempt was caused by Warrior Met’s unfair labor practices. The Region’s decision supports the UMWA’s claim.

“Henderson based her decision on a ruling by Judge Melissa M. Olivero, that determined Warrior Met Coal violated the law. They violated the law before the strike began, continue to violate the law today, and intend to keep violating it in the future,” said International UMWA President Cecil E. Roberts.

“Our members have been fighting for fair treatment and respect from Warrior Met Coal, and the company’s unfair labor practices have caused significant harm to our members and their families. Ironically, it was a non-member who initiated the decertification petition in an attempt to deny every worker’s right to belong to a union in the workplace. The UMWA will continue to fight for justice and fairness for our members,” Roberts added.

“The ruling sends a clear message that they cannot violate workers’ rights with impunity,” Roberts said. The union will continue to monitor the situation at Warrior Met Coal and will always take action to protect the rights of its members.”

UMWA Comments on Incident at Warrior Met Number 4 Mine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 31, 2023

 

UMWA Comments on Incident at Warrior Met Number 4 Mine

[TRIANGLE, VA] Commenting on the incident at Warrior Met Coal Wednesday morning, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“UMWA is deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at Warrior Met Coal,” Roberts said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can.”

The incident occurred at the company’s No. 4 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, at approximately 7:00 a.m. Wednesday. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

“Our safety experts are on the scene and are participating in the investigation. We are working closely with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the company, and other authorities to determine the cause of this tragic incident,” Roberts said.

“The UMWA takes the safety of all miners very seriously, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that every miner returns home safely at the end of their shift,” Roberts said.

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UMWA Mourns Loss of Noble Environmental Worker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 24, 2023

 

UMWA Mourns Loss of Noble Environmental Worker 

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

The entire UMWA membership extends their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Brother Collin Rozzi following the tragic accident at Noble Environmental in Brownsville, Pa. where Brother Rozzi lost his life.

Brother Rozzi, a member of Local Union 2291, was 22 years old. Our safety experts, along with the Local Union 2291 safety committee and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are on site to investigate the cause of this devastating event.

We are committed to unearthing the facts surrounding his passing and will implement measures to prevent any such future occurrences.

Let us stand united in offering our thoughts and prayers to the Rozzi family during this difficult time. 

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UMWA Opposes Proposed EPA Carbon Rule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 3, 2023

 

UMWA Opposes Proposed EPA Carbon Rule

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) yesterday filed comments with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opposing the agency’s proposed carbon emission guidelines for coal-fired power plants. UMWA also is filing comments jointly with four other energy unions in opposition to EPA’s latest attempt to rewrite the 2015 Clean Power Plan decisively rejected by the Supreme Court in June 2022.

“There they go again,” said UMWA International President Cecil Roberts, “offering a proposal to even more rapidly shut down America’s most reliable generating fleet in favor of heavily subsidized and intermittent wind and solar energy sources. This proposal basically eliminates all but a few coal plants by 2035 while betting that sufficient amounts of renewable energy would be built to offset the loss of reliable baseload power to America’s energy grid.”

UMWA’s objects particularly to EPA’s choice of arbitrary retirement dates – 2032, 2035, and 2040 – as the basis for “subcategorizing” coal-generating plants. Under this proposal, plant owners must opt-in to one of the retirement subcategories, with control requirements increasing sharply with later retirement dates.

Plants planning to operate after 2040 would have to retrofit unproven carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology by 2030, even though states will not receive full regulatory approvals for their plans until 2026 or later. DOE is just now authorizing $2.5 billion for a limited number of CCS demonstration projects for coal-fired generation. The success of these projects will not be known for years, making the arbitrary 2030 deadline for installing commercial-grade CCS physically impossible to meet.

            EPA’s data show that the coal fleet would be largely eliminated by 2035, along with thousands of the associated jobs in coal mining, generation plant, and pollution control operation and maintenance, rail transportation, and support services. “We have seen and heard lots of promises for years about ‘no one being left behind,’ but the truth is that promises are not jobs,” Roberts said. “We cannot and we will not stand by and allow our members’ jobs to be wiped out, with no real prospects for anything to replace all of those jobs and sustain their families.”

Roberts re-elected UMWA President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 2, 2023

 

Roberts re-elected UMWA President

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Cecil E. Roberts has been re-elected by acclamation to his seventh full term as International President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the union announced today. His running mate, Brian Sanson, was elected to his first full term as International Secretary-Treasurer.

“I am humbled by this demonstration of support from the members of our union,” Roberts said. “At every step of my career, I have put what I believed to be the best interests of the membership first. I think they see that, and know that I will always fight for them. I thank them from the bottom of my heart and pledge to continue putting them first in everything that I do.”

Roberts has served the membership of the UMWA as International President since 1995 and is surpassed only by the legendary John L. Lewis as the longest-serving chief officer of the union. During his most recent term, Roberts led the UMWA’s successful fight to preserve health care and pensions for some 90,000 retired miners and widows, fought to preserve jobs for active miners, and bring new high-paying union jobs into the coalfields. 

Sanson assumed the Secretary-Treasurer position in 2021 and has served on the union’s negotiating team for several major contracts. He preserved the union’s financial strength in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding loss of coal jobs and the union’s 23-month-long strike at Warrior Met Coal.

The UMWA’s election process began with a nomination period from June 15-August 1. Candidates must get a minimum of 20 percent of nominations from constituent local unions to qualify for the ballot for any office. No other candidate for President or Secretary-Treasurer received nominations from any local union. In fact, the Roberts/Sanson Leadership Team was elected by acclimation to all but one office in the United States and Canada.

 

UMWA Stands with Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 19, 2023  

 

UMWA Stands with Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA’s strikes for fairness, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“We express our unwavering support for the members of WGA and SAG-AFTRA and their courageous decision to strike in pursuit of a fair and just contract. This is another case of companies prioritizing Wall Street investors above the very workers who sustain their business.

“The workers seek fundamental rights that safeguard their careers for the long term, allowing them to enjoy the quality of life every worker rightfully deserves. Inflation and ever-advancing AI technology are threatening their livelihoods. The least these companies could do is offer the necessary assurances and protections, considering the vital role these workers play in providing our nation with the entertainment we so greatly cherish.

“The UMWA International Executive Board and all of our members proudly stand in solidarity with the talented actors and writers of WGA and SAG-AFTRA as they continue their fight for dignity and respect in their workplace! As you did with us in our long struggle with Warrior Met Coal, we will march with you, rally with you, picket with you until the battle is won.”

 

 

UMWA applauds release of silica standard in mines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 30, 2023

UMWA applauds release of silica standard in mines

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Commenting on the release today by the Mine Safety and Health Administration of a proposed rule limiting silica dust in American mines, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“Today, at long last, there is a proposed rule to limit the level of silica dust in mines, meaning that miners will no longer be subject to breathing in microscopic rock particles that will never leave their lungs. This is a good day for miners, although it has been a long time coming.

“We have known for years that rising levels of silica in mine atmospheres was causing a dramatic increase in progressive massive fibrosis. I first raised this issue on Capitol Hill in the wake of the Upper Big Branch disaster in 2010 and testified directly to it in 2019.

“Workers in other industries have long been protected from excessive exposure to silica dust, but miners were not, even though they work in an environment where silica dust is encountered daily. It was a travesty that the government had never taken steps to protect them. But now it finally has.

“I commend all those who have been fighting so long to see this day come; most especially the miners who contracted this insidious and always-fatal disease, their spouses and children. While they have borne the brunt of this disease, they have never lost their will to fight to see that no one else ever gets it.

“This day would also not have come without the medical professionals who did study after study highlighting the dangers of silica dust, the legislators and their staff who tirelessly advocated for action, the Black Lung Association and other groups who have been making their voices heard for so long, and the workers at Black Lung clinics all over the nation who have provided care and comfort for the victims of this disease.

“But this fight is far from over. This is the first step of many that will be required. We must get this rule finalized as soon as possible. And then, we must ensure that mine operators follow the rule, the government enforces it and penalizes those who violate it. We must remain vigilant until the day comes when no miner contracts this disease and we can finally say we have wiped out Black Lung for good.”

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