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UMWA mourns passing of Jim Bowen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 27, 2022

UMWA mourns passing of Jim Bowen

 

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

“Our friend and Brother Jim Bowen passed away peacefully early this morning, and we are heartbroken. He was a tremendous voice on behalf of working people throughout West Virginia, our nation and the world. Our hearts are with his family in this difficult time,

“From his time as a leader in the United Steelworkers, facing down hostile employers in the steel and aluminum industries; to his tenure as President of the West Virginia AFL-CIO; to his work in the West Virginia legislature on behalf of working people; and to his strong support of UMWA retirees and widows as we fought for their health care and pensions, Jim Bowen never backed away from a fight. He gave voice to the idea that workers in struggle can always hold out ‘One Day Longer’ than their opponents.

“Jim was my friend, and a friend to many in West Virginia and across the country. He was an honorary member of the UMWA, and we were proud to call him Brother. Although this is a difficult moment, we hold dear the memories of his friendship and solidarity which will guide us through our grief.”

UMWA supports Energy Independence and Security Act, calls for inclusion in CR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

UMWA supports Energy Independence and Security Act, calls for inclusion in CR

 

[TRIANGLE, VA] Commenting on the introduction of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 by Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“Americans have seen historic Congressional actions over the past year that have created a potential pathway to a more secure and cleaner future for all of us. But that pathway can soon become just a memory if Congress fails to enact all the tools needed to make it a reality. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) is a critical tool that must be made law, and right away.

“Billions of dollars that were included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will become stranded without passage of the EISA. Hundreds of thousands of potential jobs – which American workers were told just a few weeks ago would be coming soon – are at risk.

“Let’s be clear: the so-called “green energy” future in America cannot happen without more domestic mining, more development of critical infrastructure, more manufacturing. We cannot continue to depend on China or other unreliable nations to provide the materials needed to create that future.

“It must be done responsibly and with respect for the environment, which this legislation ensures. It also must be done much faster than is now possible, or we will find ourselves putting even more workers in the unemployment line while falling behind in meeting our energy and emissions goals.

“The time for action is now. The Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government is coming before Congress in the next few days. The EISA should be part of it, enabling us to start right away building our nation’s future.”

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NLRB revises damages calculations in Warrior Met strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

NLRB revises damages calculations in Warrior Met strike

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on a revised damages calculation issued by Region 10 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that conforms to the initial amount the Region had indicated would be assessed, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“We appreciate that NLRB Region 10 took another look at the damages it had initially assessed and recognized that the number should be in line with what Region 10 had initially indicated would be charged. This recalculation, which comes to about $435,000 plus interest, conforms to the number we had been told we would be charged.

“We are ready to pay that amount, put this behind us and negotiate a fair and reasonable contract with Warrior Met Coal that will settle this strike. Let’s get this done.”

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Warrior Met demands to fire 40 strikers without due process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

Warrior Met demands to fire 40 strikers without due process

 

[MCCALLA, AL] Responding to a demand by Warrior Met Coal, Inc. that it would not allow 40 striking United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) members to return to work, UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“We received on Monday a letter from Warrior Met that listed the names of 40 individuals that the company says it will not allow to return to work due to unspecified reasons. Warrior Met has been threatening to do this for months. It is demanding that the UMWA cede its legal responsibility to fairly represent those members and is attempting to prevent us from doing so.

“We have asked Warrior Met to provide us with any specifics it may have that would provide some clarity regarding its position. We are pursuing all legal avenues available to us on behalf of each of these individuals, including an unfair labor practice charge filed today.

“I would note that the list includes the majority of leaders in every UMWA local union that is on strike. It also includes a disproportionate number of African-American members. Warrior Met has callously prolonged this strike for months, needlessly punishing these strikers, their families and the Alabama communities where they live. Warrior Met now wants to wipe out the union’s local leadership and attack our union’s diversity.

“Perhaps the Wall Street, ‘greed is good’ mentality of Warrior Met upper management has deluded them into believing this action will intimidate the membership into submission. That would be a serious miscalculation.”

UMWA Statement on Trapped Mexican Miners

[TRIANGLE, VA.] With rescue efforts ongoing to reach ten miners trapped underground by water near Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico, United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“The prayers of the entire UMWA are with the trapped miners and the efforts of the rescuers struggling to reach them. While the details of what caused this emergency remain unclear, it serves as a reminder that danger is always mere seconds away in a mine and constant vigilance on safety issues is job number one. The most precious thing to come out of a mine is always the miner.

“The UMWA stands ready to provide any assistance that may be needed to help locate and bring these miners safely to the surface.”

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NLRB demand for UMWA to pay Warrior Met Coal strike costs “outrageous,” threatens American workers’ right to strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 3, 2022

NLRB demand for UMWA to pay Warrior Met Coal strike costs “outrageous,” threatens American workers’ right to strike

 

[TRIANGLE, VA.] The United Mine Workers of America today made it clear that it will vigorously challenge an outrageous assessment of damages made by the National Labor Relations Board Region 10 regarding the UMWA’s 16-month strike against Warrior Met Coal in Alabama.

“This is a slap in the face not just to the workers who are fighting for better jobs at Warrior Met Coal, but to every worker who stands up to their boss anywhere in America,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “There are charges for security, cameras, capital expenditures, buses for transporting scabs across picket lines, and the cost of lost production.

“What is the purpose of a strike if not to impact the operations of the employer, including production,” Roberts asked. “Is it now the policy of the federal government that unions be required to pay a company’s losses as a consequence of their members exercising their rights as working people? This is outrageous and effectively negates workers’ right to strike. It cannot stand.”

The union entered into a settlement agreement in June with NLRB Region 10 regarding charges the company had made about picket line activity in order to save striking members and families from days of hostile questioning by company lawyers. On July 22, the NLRB sent the union a detailed list of damages totaling $13.3 million dollars, more than 33 times the estimated amount NLRB lawyers had initially indicated would be assessed.

Warrior Met has reported millions of dollars in costs it has incurred over the course of the strike. “It appears that Warrior Met wants us to reimburse it for those costs, including costs it incurred before the strike even began,” Roberts said. “What’s extremely troubling here is that the NLRB appears to have taken up the company’s cause without a second thought.

“I want to be clear: Warrior Met Coal instigated this strike and has brutally extended it through its sustained unwillingness to reach a fair and reasonable agreement at the bargaining table,” Roberts said. “We have no intention of paying its costs for doing so. The right to strike in America must be preserved. We will fight this at every level, in every court. We will spend every penny of our resources rather than give in to something like this from the NLRB, Warrior Met or any other entity.”

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Time for some truth about the Inflation Adjustment Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 2, 2022

Time for some truth about the Inflation Adjustment Act

 

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

“I have been around Washington, D.C. for more than 40 years in the service of the UMWA’s members, which means I have heard a lot of whoppers come out of the mouths of politicians. But few of them top the absolute bull some are peddling about impact of the Inflation Adjustment Act (IRA), introduced last week by Senator Joe Manchin.

“It was shocking to read a member of Congress from West Virginia, Rep. Alex Mooney, attack the restoration of full funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is included in the IRA. The Fund provides small benefits to some, but not nearly enough, victims of this insidious disease and their widows, thousands of whom are West Virginians.

“Rep. Mooney has been in Congress long enough to know that the rates coal companies will pay under the IRA are exactly what they had been paying since the 1980’s, until the beginning of this year. This isn’t a tax increase – the coal companies have been enjoying a tax windfall for the last seven months and American taxpayers are picking up their tab.

“Let’s be clear: Black Lung is caused by breathing too much coal and silica dust, which only happens when coal operators do not follow the law with respect to how much dust is in the atmosphere of a mine. Scofflaw coal companies are the culprits, and asking them to pay fifty cents more per ton of coal that is used domestically is only right, especially at a time when they are selling their coal for unprecedented high prices.

“I must also say that ensuring corporations with more than a billion dollars in revenue pay their fair share of taxes is a no-brainer for working families. Many companies already do, but those who do not are simply gaming loopholes in the tax system for their own benefit – and once again, ordinary American taxpayers are picking up their tab, too.

“Those who are attacking this legislation also overlook some pretty obvious benefits of this bill to West Virginia coal miners, like the billions in tax credits for the application of Carbon Capture and Storage technology, which would allow coal-fired power plants to extend their lives for decades. This is one of the first times Congress can actually take steps to support the coal industry, which few ever expected.

“And the $4 billion in tax credits in this bill that provides incentives for manufacturers to build plants in the coalfields will provide good jobs to thousands of coal miners who have already lost their jobs and revitalize communities across West Virginia and Appalachia. It can mean immediate benefits to companies the UMWA is partnering with to provide hundreds if not thousands of jobs to dislocated miners and other West Virginia workers.

“I cannot understand how any politician who actually cares about working West Virginians and the quality of their lives can trash this bill. They should be thanking Senator Manchin, not attacking him. But when blinded by ideology and ambition, some will say and do anything – even when they know they are not being straight with the people.”

UMWA applauds Inflation Reduction Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 28, 2022

 

UMWA applauds Inflation Reduction Act

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that would provide full and permanent funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, and other provisions that will provide much needed help to distressed coalfield communities, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“We are very pleased that Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) were able to come to an agreement on legislation that includes full and permanent funding of the excise tax that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. This will give victims of this insidious disease, their families and their survivors some peace of mind that the benefits they so desperately need will never be reduced.

“Senator Manchin never wavered in his commitment to secure the funding for this program, and he delivered. Thousands in the coalfields owe him yet another debt of gratitude, and the UMWA will never forget his dedication to getting this done.

“There is more to do regarding Black Lung, starting with the promulgation of a final rule to limit silica dust exposure in coal mines. We also must examine the entire Black Lung benefits system to make it more inclusive for victims, more efficient in the awarding of benefits, and to ensure its long-term viability in the face of a declining coal industry. The UMWA stands ready to meet with all stakeholders – victims and their families, labor, and industry – to work on solutions to these issues.

“We are also pleased to see that provisions were included in the IRA that will extend tax credits to renewable energy supply chain manufacturers that build plants in the coalfields, which will be a big step toward providing good jobs to these distressed communities. The enhanced tax credits for carbon capture and storage included in the legislation will also be a boon for coalfield jobs. We urge swift passage of this legislation by Congress.”

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The UMWA Honors Woody Williams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 30, 2022

The UMWA Honors Woody Williams

[TRIANGLE, VA.] United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today, regarding the passing of World War II hero Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams:

“Woody Williams was a hero for a lot of us, and not just because he was a Medal of Honor winner in World War II. While earning that award alone justifies the “Hero” title, Woody was so much more than that.

“He was a genuine person who did not act like he was any different or any better than anyone else. He was an inspiration to all who encountered him, willing to listen and offer advice if asked but was never judgmental. He accepted people for who they were.

“I had the good fortune to be with Woody several times, and knew that he loved West Virginia and he loved its people.  He was a friend of coal miners, respected their hard work and supported their livelihoods. He was a stalwart defender of veterans and was their fierce advocate every single day.

“Our world needs more people like Woody Williams. He did not shirk his duty when called, and when he came home from the battlefield a hero he did not flaunt it. We will all miss him terribly, and the hearts and prayers of every UMWA member are with his family and friends.”

UMWA convention delegates unanimously vote to continue full support of Warrior Met strike, beef up financial resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 17, 2022

UMWA convention delegates unanimously vote to continue full support of the Warrior Met strike, beef up financial resources

[MCALLA, ALA.] Delegates to the United Mine Workers of America’s (UMWA) Constitutional Convention last week unanimously passed a resolution that committed all necessary resources of the UMWA “for the Union to be victorious in its struggle against Warrior Met.” This action unleashes every available avenue the union has at its disposal to continue the struggle for justice and win a fair contract at Warrior Met Coal.

“This is a tremendous show of support and solidarity for the strikers at Warrior Met by every UMWA local union,” UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “And it was followed by an equally unanimous statement of support for the strikers by the national AFL-CIO at its convention this week.

“The entire labor movement is engaged and taking financial and logistical action to win this strike,” Roberts said. “We have received $2.5 million in donations from other unions and individuals to the UMWA Strike Aid Fund which goes directly to our striking members. Other donations are coming. Make no mistake, we will continue to have the resources to win this struggle.”

Roberts announced that the union’s weekly Wednesday rallies for strikers and their families will resume after a 3-week hiatus because of the UMWA and AFL-CIO Conventions. “I plan to be at the next rally on June 22, and as always I’ll answer any questions people may have about the strike and what is going on with it.”

Roberts also announced that negotiations between the parties will resume next week. “It’s well past time for the company to get off the dime here and get this settled. We are ready to meet all day, every day until we do just that.”

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