The coal miners struck February 23 after one union member was fired for insubordination. The mine's owner, Drummond Co., retaliated by closing the mine for five days. But the miner won his job back.

The firing of this miner was the latest in a spate of employer abuses, said Randell Erwin, financial secretary of UMWA Local 1948. Over the last year there have been numerous incidents:

• A boss "got smart with a man," said Erwin. The miner answered him back. Then the miner turned away and was hit from behind with a sharp object.
• A mine manager grabbed one worker.
• Another worker was joking with a supervisor. The boss then verbally abused the man.
• A miner was pushed and spit upon by a boss while working.

"Grievances were filed in all of these instances," said Erwin. "But no supervisor was ever disciplined."

The final straw was the firing of the miner in February. The worker and a foreman had a verbal exchange. While others observed them talking from afar, there were no witnesses as to what was said. "They fired the man for talking back," explained Erwin.

Miners walked out in protest. Drummond announced before eight hours were up that the mine was closed.

The workers' action has been closely followed by miners and other workers in this area. Opinions vary on the strike, including among members of Local 1948. Some take pride in the UMWA tradition of direct job action to defend their members. Others worry that strikes like this could give Drummond an excuse to close the Shoal Creek mine altogether.

In November of 1999, Drummond laid off 215 miners from Shoal Creek. "The company lied to us," said Erwin. Earlier, Drummond had urged miners to approve a new shift schedule and in return, the company promised, there would be no more layoffs, just a drop in the work force by attrition. The new shift schedule was voted in by just 21 votes.

The layoff at Shoal Creek comes on top of other closures, and attacks on the union and working conditions by the company.

Many miners suspect that Drummond has financial interests in the several nonunion mines that have opened where UMWA Drummond mines once were.

Cindy Jaquith is a member of the United Steelworkers of America in Birmingham.  
 
 
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