Source: Wtov9 Fox
Date: April 28, 2025
WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia AFL-CIO hosted its 37th annual Workers Day Memorial on Monday, emphasizing the theme “Fight for Our Lives.”
The event mourned the loss of eight West Virginians who died on the job last year, spanning industries from coal mining to transportation.
“The children now don’t have a father, right, or the wife is now a widow and she didn’t plan on this. She might be 20 years old or 25 years old or whatever. Maybe she doesn’t work and now has to find a job. The entire world gets turned upside down,” said Cecil Roberts, international president of the United Mine Workers of America.
Roberts also stressed the importance of not only remembering those who have died but also taking action to improve conditions for workers. He expressed concern over the diminishing resources available to union workers.
“Some of the agencies that are there to protect workers are pretty much being abolished,” he said. “Those agencies were created by Congress and only Congress should be able to do away with them.”
The ceremony took place in front of the Walter Reuther statue in Wheeling, honoring the former UMWA president and founder of the modern labor movement.
Standing up for Virginia.
Standing up for workers like you.
Paid for by UMWA COMPAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts, Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor Julie Su, MSHA Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson discuss the need to better protect miners from debilitating and deadly illnesses and announce new actions the Department of Labor is taking to ensure all miners are protected on the job.
On March 30th, we will commemorate the Vietnam Veterans from West Virginia in Nitro, West Virginia. The event will take place at the park situated behind the Nitro World War I Museum and Nitro City Hall. Street parking is available on 21st Street, as well as at the museum.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day, observed on March 29th each year, serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served in the Vietnam War. It’s a day to honor and recognize the courage, bravery, and resilience of the men and women who fought in one of the most challenging conflicts in modern history.
On this day, we pay tribute to their service and express our gratitude for their unwavering commitment to defending freedom and democracy. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned from the Vietnam War and to reaffirm our commitment to supporting veterans and their families, ensuring they receive the recognition, care, and support they deserve.
The Willow Grove Mine Disaster, a tragic event etched in the annals of mining history, unfolded on a fateful day that shook the tight-knit community to its core. The mine, once a source of livelihood, became a site of profound sorrow as an unforeseen catastrophe claimed the lives of miners who toiled beneath the earth’s surface. As we reflect upon this somber chapter, our hearts are heavy with empathy for the families and friends whose lives were forever altered by the loss of their loved ones. This dedication stands as a testament to the resilience of those affected, a solemn recognition of the pain endured, and a promise to remember and honor the courage and sacrifice of the miners who, in the pursuit of providing for their families, faced the ultimate tragedy. May the memories of the Willow Grove miners be a source of strength and inspiration, and may their legacy endure as a reminder of the profound human cost embedded in the pursuit of prosperity.
“We’re calling upon the National Labor Relations Board to put some significance to the decision that’s already been rendered. We have already been proven right and Warrior Met has been proven wrong….You would think that the National Labor Relations Board, which is established to protect workers’ rights, would say you can’t have this in our society.”
UMWA Press Releases:
NLRB Rules in Favor of UMWA, Blocking Decertification Vote at Warrior Met Coal
NLRB judge finds Warrior Met Coal guilty of unfair labor practices, orders company to bargain in good faith
NLRB revises damages calculations in Warrior Met strike
UMWA International President comments on the recent NLRB ruling, blocking a decertification vote at Warrior Met Coal.
Jay Ira Kolenc, 92, of Hopedale, passed away on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Steubenville, Ohio. He was born June 28, 1931, in Wayne Township, Jefferson County, Ohio.
Jay was a retired coal miner having worked at Boich Mining until his retirement. He was a member of the United Mine Workers of America Local Union 1304.
Jay was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army serving during the Korean Conflict. We are immensely thankful for your continuous support of the UMWA and its members and for your dedication to advocating for what is right and fair for all working families.
UMWA International President discusses the recent NLRB findings in regard to Warrior Met Coal.
“Friends and neighbors, brothers and sisters, anybody listening to this…. its time for organized labor and workers across this country to stand up and fight back and elect people to office that believe in the right to join a union…. its time to act!” – UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts
Photo credit: Joe Piette @jpiette660
