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UMWA opposes West Virginia legislation reducing health and safety in coal mines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 1, 2022

 

UMWA opposes West Virginia legislation reducing health and safety in coal mines

 

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

“The idea that anyone in the state of West Virginia believes we need less enforcement in the coal mining industry is outrageous.

“But House Bill 4840 would do just that, by eliminating the ability of the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training (WVOMHST) inspectors to actually enforce our state’s safety laws.

“I cannot understand why any responsible legislator would believe the outright elimination of an entire state agency’s enforcement power would keep miners safer at work.

“Last year, West Virginia alone accounted for 50% of all coal mine fatalities in America. Just this morning, we received a call that a miner in southern West Virginia, with twenty years of experience, died in a mining accident.

“The first agency on the scene this morning was not MSHA, it was the state. The state inspectors arrived on-site almost an hour before MSHA was able to get there.

“So, to say we need less protection from the state, less safety and less enforcement in the coal mining industry makes zero sense.

“This bill would remove the state agency’s ability to properly investigate an incident. Statistics show that when you have good laws and regulations, and they are enforced, fatalities decrease. That is where we need to be headed.

“This is a bad bill and will put West Virginia miners’ lives at risk.

#KeepWVMinesSafe

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Congress Must Act Now to Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 21, 2021

 

Congress Must Act Now to Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

 

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

“The right to vote is essential to ensure a strong democracy within the United States, however, state after state is encouraging discriminatory legislation to restrict citizens’ access to voting.

“Restricting voting rights wipes away 60 years of progress our nation has made to expand these rights. It is unamerican and outright wrong to prevent anyone in our society from having a voice in the election process.

“Congress needs to act and act soon. Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.”

 

A Dream Not Yet Fulfilled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 16, 2021

 

A Dream Not Yet Fulfilled

 

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

“Today, the nation comes together to honor a man who believed in fairness and equality for all Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to fighting injustice. Unfortunately, too little has changed in American workplaces over the last sixty years. We still find ourselves fighting for critical protections workers need on the job.

“Dr. King believed, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ Time and time again I have sat in front of Congress demanding that ending Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung, be at the forefront of their conversations.

“In June 2019, I testified before the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Workforce Protections on the resurgence of Black Lung cases. Yet here we stand today, once again faced with Congress’ failure to protect the very people who put them in office.

“Congress needs to act to ensure long-term funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. By letting the enhanced levels of Black Lung Excise Taxes expire at the end of 2021, Congress is once again putting corporate interests first and American workers second.

“Dr. King also stated ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Here, too, our government can do better.

“State after state is enacting laws that restrict access to voting. Congress must pass legislation to protect every American’s right to vote in free and fair elections.

“Congress must restore the right to organize and put an end to ‘right to work’ laws. We must change corrupt bankruptcy laws that put workers last. We must stop scabs from stealing jobs from skilled workers who are fighting for their livelihood, like the UMWA miners in their tenth month on strike at Warrior Met Coal in Alabama.

“Dr. King reminded us that, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ Now is the time for Congress to do what is right and ensure that American workers, families, and their communities come first.”

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UMWA Mourns Loss of Ohio County Prep Plant Construction Worker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 14, 2022

UMWA Mourns Loss of Ohio County Prep Plant Construction Worker

 

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

“The hearts and prayers of every UMWA member are with the family of Jeffrey Phillips, who was killed in an accident today at the Ohio County Prep Plant in Benwood, W. Va.

“Brother Phillips was a member of UMWA Construction Local Union 1998. He was 44 years old.

“Our safety experts are on the scene and are working with the UMWA Local Union 1473 Safety Committee, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training, and the company to find out what caused this tragedy.

“Operations at the mine and plant have been shut down after the accident and will be suspended while the investigation continues.

“This is the third coal mine fatality of 2022 and the first UMWA worker to be killed on the job since December 19, 2019.

“We are truly saddened by the death of Brother Phillips and we will not rest until we know the circumstances of his death so that we can prevent something like this from ever happening again.

“I ask that we all lift up the Phillips’ family in our prayers.”

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The lesson of January 6: We must always be ready to defend democracy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 6, 2022

 

The lesson of January 6: We must always be ready to defend democracy

 

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

​“The terrible images of January 6, 2021 are still seared in the minds of Americans as a reminder of what can happen when politicians refuse to accept the outcome of free and fair elections and instead attempt to stay in power by any means they can use.

“At the end of that day, however, democracy prevailed and a majority in Congress did their duty to affirm the clear decision of the American people.

“But in the year since, legislatures in state after state have made it harder for all citizens to vote and easier for political hacks of one party or another to deny a democratic outcome of an election that they do not like.

“These actions are a direct attack on American freedom, and Congress must not let them stand.

“It has the power to ensure that every eligible voter is able to cast a ballot and that their vote be counted, without fear of it being thrown out at the whim of some political crony.

“Millions of Americans, including myself, have served our nation on battlefields all over the world.

“We swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

“Members of Congress swore to do the same, and I call on them to remember the lessons of January 6, 2021 and take whatever actions they must to defend our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees. Pass the Freedom to Vote Act.”

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UMWA statement on Build Back Better legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 20, 2021

 

UMWA statement on Build Back Better legislation

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

“The United Mine Workers and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have a long and friendly relationship. We remain grateful for his hard work to preserve the pensions and health care of our retirees across the nation, including thousands in West Virginia. He has been at our side as we have worked to preserve coal miners’ jobs in a changing energy marketplace, and we appreciate that very much.

“The Build Back Better (BBB) legislation includes several items that we believe are important for our members and their communities – some of which are part of the UMWA’s Principles for Energy Transition we laid out last spring.

“The bill includes language that would extend the current fee paid by coal companies to fund benefits received by victims of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung. But now that fee will be cut in half, further shifting the burden of paying these benefits away from the coal companies and on to taxpayers.

“The bill includes language that will provide tax incentives to encourage manufacturers to build facilities in the coalfields that would employ thousands of coal miners who have lost their jobs. We support that and are ready to help supply those plants with a trained, professional workforce. But now the potential for those jobs is significantly threatened.

“The bill includes language that would, for the first time, financially penalize outlaw employers that deny workers their rights to form a union on the job. This language is critical to any long-term ability to restore the right to organize in America in the face of ramped-up union-busting by employers. But now there is no path forward for millions of workers to exercise their rights at work.

“For those and other reasons, we are disappointed that the bill will not pass. We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working, and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families, and their communities.

“I also want to reiterate our support for the passage of voting rights legislation as soon as possible, and strongly encourage Senator Manchin and every other Senator to be prepared to do whatever it takes to accomplish that. Anti-democracy legislators and their allies are working every day to roll back the right to vote in America. Failure by the Senate to stand up to that is unacceptable and a dereliction of their duty to the Constitution.”

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UMWA mourns 51 killed in Russian mine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 26, 2021

 

UMWA mourns 51 killed in Russian mine

[TRIANGLE, VA.] In the aftermath of the terrible explosion that killed 51 miners and rescuers in Siberia, 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 families of those Russian miners and rescuers who were killed yesterday in a horrific methane explosion. No miner, anywhere in the world, should have to worry about whether or not they will be coming home at the end of their shift. But it appears that was exactly what these miners confronted.

“It is beyond tragic that these men died in a mine that had a history of safety violations yet received little more than a slap on the wrist from Russian authorities. It does not matter if it is Russia, China, India or the United States: Mine operators who routinely put workers at risk should be punished to the full extent of the law.

“That punishment will not bring these miners back and it will not end the pain their families will always feel. But if those who allowed this tragedy to occur are not held responsible for their actions, something like this will happen over and over again. For the sake of the thousands of miners who still toil in dangerous conditions in Russia, accountability must come.”

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UMWA applauds nomination of Chris Williamson to MSHA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

 

UMWA applauds nomination of Chris Williamson to MSHA

[TRIANGLE, VA.] Commenting on the nomination of Chris Williamson to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International

President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“Chris Williamson is the most knowledgeable expert on mine safety and health in Washington today. His in-depth understanding of what it takes to keep miners safer and healthier at work is unmatched, and I expect that the Mine Safety and Health Administration will be a stronger advocate for miners under his watch.

“Chris comes from a mining background in West Virginia. Making sure that miners come home safely to their families each and every day is part of his very being.

President Biden has made an excellent choice in tapping Chris to be Assistant Secretary, and I urge the Senate to confirm his nomination as soon as possible. America’s miners need a tough watchdog and they need him now.

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Alabama Judge issues unconstitutional order at Warrior Met strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 28, 2021

 

Alabama Judge issues unconstitutional order at Warrior Met strike

 

 

[MCCALLA, ALA.] Reacting to a temporary restraining order issued by Judge James H. Roberts, Jr. of the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County that restricts the constitutional rights of speech and assembly, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

            “The temporary restraining order (TRO) issued yesterday by Judge Roberts continues the State of Alabama’s assault on the rights and freedoms of working families that has been the government’s hallmark during this strike. It contains provisions that are unconstitutional and it reinforces the notion that Americans – at least in Alabama – are not free to enjoy their rights to free speech and free assembly.

            “The Constitution of the United States protects American citizens’ rights to stand on the side of a road and call a scab a scab. It protects their rights to peacefully assemble and air their grievances with an employer or any other person or entity. It protects their rights to seek redress from government. We intend to continue to exercise our rights.

            “I believe it is important for the public to understand what is going on in the strike area and how we got to this point.

            “Consider for a moment that the Wall Street bankers who are calling the shots at Warrior Met took $1.4 billion in workers’ concessions out of Alabama communities and sent it up to New York to line their pockets. And then sucked another $750 million from the company’s revenues almost immediately after Warrior Met emerged from bankruptcy. That’s more than $2 billion that could have stayed in Alabama helping our communities, but went to the glittering skyscrapers in Manhattan instead.

“Consider also that for the last several months, Alabama State Police have been working on the public’s dime to escort out-of-state strikebreakers who have been brought in to take Alabama taxpayers’ jobs. Where is the sense in that? We have seen no protest or investigation by our state’s leaders about this clear misuse of taxpayer dollars.

“Instead of spending time and money on ever-rising legal fees in court, Warrior Met would be much better served to accept my still-standing offer of direct, high-level negotiations to resolve this dispute as soon as possible.

“Let me be clear: We remain ready to engage in serious and good-faith negotiations to resolve this dispute, but this TRO will not stop our strike. We are far stronger than the mere location of our picket lines.”

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UMWA strongly supports Freedom to Vote Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 19, 2021

 

UMWA strongly supports Freedom to Vote Act

 

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

“It is critical for the future of our democracy that Congress pass the Freedom to Vote Act as soon as possible. Even though there has never been any credible evidence that anything is wrong with our election system, too many states are taking steps to strip away the right to vote from our fellow citizens. Congress must step in to defend it.

“When states make it harder for minorities and senior citizens to vote, that is wrong. When states restrict the ability to cast mail ballots, they threaten the rights of active-duty military personnel. When states make rules that enable one political party to throw out election results simply because it doesn’t like them, that starts us down the path to tyranny. Yet that is what we are seeing happen in state after state.

“These actions by state legislatures around the nation destroy the notion of free and fair elections that generations of Americans have fought to protect and threaten to further divide and weaken our nation. It is healthy in a democracy for citizens to have different political points of view. It will destroy that democracy if we build up those differences to the point where we allow politicians to manipulate our right to vote and how we count the results.

“These anti-American state laws cannot stand, and I urge the Senate to take all steps needed to pass the Freedom to Vote Act tomorrow – including modifying the filibuster rules if that is what it takes. The long-term threat to our fragile democracy is too great to do anything else.

 

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