Free Republic

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which represents West Virginia coal miners as well, said that the bill contained important measures that would benefit coal miners — like an extension of funding to aid victims of black lung disease, tax incentives to urge manufacturers to build new factories and employ ex-miners and protect union workers. Cecil Roberts, the union’s president said in a statement: “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,...

WASHINGTON — The nation’s largest coal miners’ union said Monday it would accept President Joe Biden’s plan to move away from coal and other fossil fuels in exchange for a “true energy transition” that includes thousands of jobs in renewable energy and spending on technology to make coal cleaner. Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said ensuring jobs for displaced miners — including 7,000 coal workers who lost their jobs last year — is crucial to any infrastructure bill taken up by Congress.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — United Mine Workers Union President Cecil Roberts says the West Virginia Supreme Court stepped beyond its authority in its decision on the attempted overturning of the state’s right-to-work law. Y “They basically told her (Kanawha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey) how to rule, which is not what they should have done. They, as they say, ‘got over their skis on this,'” Roberts said. UMWA President Cecil Roberts was a guest Thursday on 580 Live on 580 WCHS Radio in Charleston. Roberts gave his take on the case during an appearance Thursday on the talk show 580-Live on...

(CNSNews.com) - The United Mine Workers of America held a rally Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to protest Environmental Protection Agency regulations that they claim would destroy the nation’s coal industry and coal-related jobs while doing nothing to address climate change. On Tuesday, current and retired workers convened at Freedom Plaza, then marched to EPA offices to protest EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan, part of President Obama’s larger climate-change agenda, which aims to cut carbon pollution by imposing state-by-state emissions standards and fines for failure to meet those standards. CNSNews.com asked protesters, “If you could tell President Obama anything about these...

It’s unlikely that United Mine Workers of America president Cecil Roberts thought he would be arrested protesting the energy policies of the very politician his union supported in 2008. But things have come full circle for coal miners, who now see President Obama’s climate agenda threatening their livelihoods. Roberts and other UMWA members were arrested Thursday marching through Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, towards the federal building the Environmental Protection Agency was holding field hearings for a new rule that could very well force more coal mines and plants to shut down. …

St. Clairsville, Ohio-based Murray Energy has confirmed it will terminate health benefits of almost 1,200 Consol Energy retirees who worked in mines Murray purchased one year ago. As of Dec. 31, benefits for salaried retirees, including medical, prescription drug and life insurance, will be stopped. The cutoff will not apply to union members. A letter sent out earlier this month to those affected reads, “Please be advised that Murray Energy does not provide salary retiree benefit coverage for its retirees. When Murray Energy purchased Consolidation Coal Co., it agreed to provide salary retiree benefits at a level substantially similar to...

The coal industry will suffer the same fate as Osama bin Laden under new climate regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the head of the United Mine Workers of America said this week. “The Navy SEALs shot Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan and Lisa Jackson shot us in Washington,” Cecil Roberts, president of the powerful union, said during an interview Tuesday on the West Virginia radio show MetroNews Talkline.

The President of the United Mine Workers of America says the regulation of carbon emissions from coal is not just an American issue. "You have to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions throughout the world. You can't just regulate them through the EPA of the United States," Cecil Roberts said on Tuesday's MetroNews Talkline. Roberts says he thinks the federal Environmental Protection Agency is exceeding its authority with proposed new regulations for required greenhouse gas limits for all new coal fired power plants. He says those limits will shut down the development of new plants since the levels cannot be reached without...

(Listen live or get the podcast later.) Maybe interesting to see what the UMWA has to say - out in the open - about Massey. I know Liddy is fairly pro-union and said yeaterday he stood with the UMWA.

As Virginia’s odd-year election approaches, Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds has unleashed a frenzy of promises to spend money on everyone he can think of. On Saturday Deeds campaigned in Southwest Virginia at a rally sponsored by the United Mine Workers union, whose leaders say the time has come to “take from the upper one per cent that portion of the wealth they’ve been stealing for the past 35 years and return it to the workers.” Dumb, but — if possible — getting dumber.