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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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NLRB judge finds Warrior Met Coal guilty of unfair labor practices, orders company to bargain in good faith

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 30, 2023

 

NLRB judge finds Warrior Met Coal guilty of unfair labor practices, orders company to bargain in good faith

[Brookwood, Ala.] National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge Melissa M. Olivero yesterday issued a ruling that found Warrior Met Coal violated national labor law in its bargaining conduct before, during, and after the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) nearly two-year strike. Judge Olivero ordered the company to bargain in good faith immediately.

“We appreciate this ruling because it validates everything we have been saying about this company for more than two years now,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said today. “This company caused this strike by not bargaining in good faith, it extended the strike for nearly two years by not bargaining in good faith, and it continues to violate the law today.”

Judge Oliverio’s ruling stated: “Respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the National Labor Relations Act,” upholding the UMWA’s long-held contention that the company refusal to bargain in good faith precipitated and prolonged the strike.

“Warrior Met’s refusal to bargain in good faith has caused so much hardship to so many workers, families, and communities for the last two years,” Roberts said. “The company spent millions on New York lawyers, a Hollywood public relations firm, extra security, and more. It lost more than a billion dollars in potential sales over the course of the strike because of lost production at a time of unprecedented high prices for metallurgical coal. None of it had to happen.

“I want to commend our bargaining team, UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson, District 20 Vice President Larry Spencer, District Representative James Blankenship, and our General Counsel Kevin Fagan for their perseverance at the bargaining table despite Warrior Met’s refusal to bargain in good faith. They had to put up with a lot.

“Warrior Met’s intent, from the very beginning of this strike, was to grind the workers down by whatever means necessary, up to and including violations of the law,” Roberts said. “And now Warrior Met has been found guilty. It must remedy this, by bringing all the workers back it has illegally fired or denied a right to return to their jobs.

“And it must come to the bargaining table with a new, lawful attitude, one that recognizes the workers’ collective right to bargain for better pay and working conditions,” Roberts said. “We have been saying for more than two years now that we have been ready to sit down and bargain an agreement in good faith with Warrior Met. It should now be clear to all that the company never intended to do any such thing. Perhaps now, it finally will.”

 

UMWA Makes No Endorsement For President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 16, 2023

 

UMWA Makes No Endorsement For President

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

“The National Council of the Coal Miners Political Action Committee (COMPAC) of the United Mine Workers of America voted June 13 to make no endorsement at this time for any candidate running for President of the United States.

“We understand that our brothers and sisters in other unions have made their decisions, as has the AFL-CIO. That is their right. However, we have our own internal process that gives our members a voice in making political endorsements, and that process has not yet begun.

“We have repeatedly said that we support politicians who support us. That means not just talking about what you’re going to do for our members, but actually doing it.

“For years, we have been pointing out the dramatic loss of jobs in America’s coal mines – more than 40,000 in the last decade. Each of those jobs supports four other jobs that either directly or indirectly depend on coal production.

“That means that about 200,000 jobs have already been lost in the coalfields. These are the best-paying jobs in their communities. Many, if not most, were union jobs. We have engaged with anyone who will talk to us about the need for rapid development of new manufacturing jobs in these distressed areas and the training of the existing workforce to step into those jobs.

“But nearly two years after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have yet to see a single good-paying union job that has been created for a dislocated coal miner to step into. Meanwhile, the push from Washington to rapidly eliminate coal-fired power from the nation’s energy mix continues unabated.

“And I would note that almost four years after I testified in the U.S. House of Representatives about the deadly effects on miners’ lungs of silica dust and the critical need to develop a rule to control that dust in the mine atmosphere, the administration has yet to release a rule more than halfway through its term.

“That means miners as young as 40 continue to contract the most devastating form of black lung as a result of this inaction. This is an always-fatal disease and further delay only puts more miners at immediate risk.

“At the same time, I can’t help but recall that despite repeated promises, coal-fired power plant closures accelerated under President Trump and there were fewer coal miners working at the end of his term than at the beginning. His administration recoiled from the notion of providing any assistance to those who lost their jobs.

“I am not hearing anything encouraging on this issue from any of the Republican candidates. Merely stopping the so-called “War on Coal” will have no impact on the decisions utility companies have already made regarding what type of electric generation facilities to build. They are largely moving away from coal. The only questions now are how much and how fast.

“I frankly do not have confidence any of the Republican candidates for President will lift a finger to help dislocated coal miners and their families or keep any American worker safe on the job. This is perhaps the most self-described union-hating group of Republican candidates for President I have ever seen.

“We will continue to evaluate the field of candidates and their policy positions and results. We will continue discussions among our members and local, state, and national leaders. I would note that the UMWA has not endorsed a candidate for President for 15 years. We feel no special need to get on anyone’s bandwagon right now.”

UMWA Members Ratify Contract at Rem Arms in Ilion, New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 16, 2023

 

UMWA Members Ratify Contract at Rem Arms in Ilion, New York

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that its members working at Rem Arms in Ilion, NY., ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, which will become effective immediately.

“When Remington Arms filed for bankruptcy in 2020, it looked as if the Ilion plant would close for good. That put tremendous pressure on our members at Local Union 717, their families, and their communities,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts.

“But the UMWA never quit fighting for those jobs,” Roberts said. “We were successful in encouraging a new buyer that would keep the plant open and secure the jobs and livelihoods of our members. The struggle then was to work out a collective bargaining agreement with the new owner, which we have done after more than two years of bargaining.”

The UMWA has represented workers at the Ilion plant since 1995 and currently has more than 290 members who manufacture the finest firearms in the world.

Warren McGraw, The UMWA Mourns The Passing of a True Champion for Working People


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 15, 2023

Warren McGraw, The UMWA Mourns The Passing of a True Champion for Working People

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

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of a true champion for working people. Warren McGraw was the definition of a working-class hero. From 1969 when he stood on the floor of the West Virginia legislature and made his fiery speech for Black Lung Benefits to his advocacy for Health and Safety Legislation, he was always on worker’s side.

“As the son of a disabled coal miner, McGraw knew the struggles that faced coal mining families in West Virginia, and he dedicated his life to fighting for miner’s and their families. We have lost a warrior. We have lost a friend. The entire UMWA Family grieve for the McGraw’s loved ones and have them in our prayers.”

 

OP-ED: Kentucky is UMWA Country

Source: Lexington Herald-Leader

June 7, 2023

Kentucky is UMWA Country

By: Cecil E. Roberts, International President, United Mine Workers of America

I read in recent news reports that there are some in Kentucky who are shocked – shocked! – that the United Mine Workers of America would support the re-election of Gov. Andy Beshear. Let me be clear: When it comes to supporting candidates for election, the UMWA supports those who support us. Period. It does not matter what office they hold or what party they belong to.

Ask Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, or former Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, also a Republican. Ask Republican Representatives Hal Rogers and Jamie Comer of Kentucky. They seek and receive our endorsement come election time because they earn it during their terms of office. When someone consistently steps up for us, then we step up for them. That’s exactly what Andy Beshear has done.

By strongly supporting our fight to preserve health care and pension benefits for retired miners and spouses, Gov. Beshear has already demonstrated that he is a friend to the more than 10,000 retired miners in the state. Almost all of those retirees have children and grandchildren of voting age, and they know just how important the UMWA has been and continues to be to their parents and grandparents.

More than $120 million flowed into Kentucky in 2022 alone to pay for health care and pensions for those UMWA retirees. No other non-governmental organization in the state even comes close to providing that level of economic impact in coalfield communities. None.

In places like Pike County ($14.5 million), Muhlenberg County ($16.6 million), Hopkins County ($13.2 million), and Union County ($11.9 million), these payments are what keep doctor’s offices, clinics, and pharmacies open for everyone – not just retired miners. That money keeps grocery stores, family restaurants, and gas stations open and running. Without the UMWA and the benefits the union has fought for over generations, these and other coal counties would be deep in poverty.

From recent comments I’ve seen, some Kentucky politicians have no idea about the role the UMWA plays in their state’s economy. They would do well to learn something about it before they go shooting their mouths off about the relevance of the UMWA to Kentucky and its electorate.

Gov. Beshear has been a supporter of active and retired Kentucky coal miners and their families from Day One of his administration. It is simply false to say that because some Washington politicians are not friendly to the coal industry, then all politicians of that party everywhere are therefore not our friends. That’s bull.

Andy Beshear has and will continue to support the mining and use of coal to generate electricity. Kentucky’s 3,000 rank-and-file coal miners can count on that. After all, it wasn’t just the UMWA who endorsed him the other day, several coal operators did as well. Chew on that for a while.

We are proud of our support of Gov. Beshear, and we will shout it from every mountain, hill, and holler in the state. We endorsed him because we know that he has not just been our friend, he has been a friend to the state’s more than 2 million workers who do not work in the coal industry. By the way, we represent some of them, too.

He has proven himself to us and our families; he has earned our endorsement; and we will work day and night to return him to Frankfort to continue fighting for us.

Navajo Nation, United Mine Workers of America announce Labor Management Agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2023

 

Navajo Nation, United Mine Workers of America announce Labor Management Agreement

[TRIANGLE, VA] United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced today that a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Navajo Nation and the UMWA has been signed that will re-establish collective bargaining rights for Navajo Nation employees in UMWA Local Union 2005.

“I commend the Nygren administration for moving forward in a positive way for these employees,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “This agreement is good not only for the hard-working men and women we represent but for the Nation itself. It will re-establish workers’ rights under a collective bargaining agreement, it establishes the pathway to negotiating a new agreement that recognizes the skills and dedication of these workers.”

The UMWA represents approximately 1,500 Navajo employees in the Executive Branch, Head Start Program and the Division of Public Safety.

 

UMWA has “significant concerns” with proposed EPA power plant rule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 15, 2023

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) said today that the proposed power plant rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week will cause even more job losses in America’s coal-producing areas, without any real prospect of substantial new job creation yet to be realized.

“We have significant concerns about this proposed rule landing at a time when the promises of job creation and job retraining in the coalfields remain little more than words on paper,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said today.

“The next round of coal-fired power plant closures is coming. But the coal-producing areas of the country are still reeling from the last round, and they are not prepared for this one.

“We have long said that if there are no new jobs for displaced coal miners and their families to step into when their coal and coal-related jobs are gone, then our government will have once again failed an entire region of our nation,” Roberts said.

“While there is a promise of new jobs from the Biden administration, for now, that is all there is…a promise.”

The UMWA has long called for rapid development of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology to be commercially applied to coal-fired power plants, not just because it will preserve coal mining jobs but because it is the only way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in the long term.

“We appreciate the attention the proposed rule gives to CCS technology because that is the way we can keep coal miners working and tackle greenhouse gas emissions at the same time,” Roberts said.

“But we also note that nearly two years after the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was passed that allocates billions for the construction of commercial-grade coal-fired power plants to demonstrate that CCS can work, not one shovel of dirt has been moved to actually begin construction.

“The scenarios assumed by this proposed rule for CCS application to coal-fired power are ambitious, to say the least, especially when factoring in the lag in the development of the technology on a commercial scale,” Robert said.

“We have a hard time seeing how this will match up in real-time.”

Roberts said the UMWA will submit specific comments regarding the proposed rule in the coming weeks.