UMW PRESIDENT SAYS SHOWDOWN COMING TO COAL FIELDS - "Waking Up To Broken Promises"

(09/09/2004)

"There is going to be a showdown in the coalfields," said UMW President Cecil Roberts. Roberts says that Massey Energy is trying to replace union miners with non-union workers at coal operations currently owned by Horizon Resources. Horizon has gone bankrupt and will turn over their operations to Massey Energy this month. A bankruptcy judge has already ruled that Horizon does not have to honor their benefit agreement with several thousand retirees and their dependents. All workers and retirees will lose their benefits and Robert's says Massey will now hire whoever they want, likely non-union members. The UMW will engage in non-violent civil disobedience, blocking roads leading to Horizon operations at Cannelton in Kanawha County and Marrowbone in McDowell County. Roberts said the trend has been for large corporations to dismantled health and retirement benefits for workers, some of which have spent their entire life with the company. Roberts said "America's workers are waking up to broken promises." Don Blankenship, president of Massey Coal, is reportedly earning between $6 and $7 million a year for his services.

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