The company wants to force workers to give 30 days notice before taking time off. In addition, they want to schedule vacations so that no more than 15 percent of miners would be off at any one time, declaring that this is needed to increase productivity. The issue has been in negotiations since February.

On Monday, November 27, the union called a "memorial day," one of 10 contractual days off the union can call each year. UMWA Local 1926 president Joe Perkins told the Tuscaloosa News that the atmosphere around the proposed changes had become "volatile." Describing workers' outraged reaction, he said, "It's just impossible for me to know 30 days in advance whether my wife is going to be sick and can't drive herself to the doctor."

Perkins said he called the memorial day to allow workers to cool off, hoping to settle the conflict "in the mine."

The company responded by calling workers at home to get them to come to work, claiming they were needed for emergency tasks in the mine. One of the "emergencies" was to finish filling a train with coal for Alabama Power, the main electric utility in the state.

Union members did not return to work, stating that to work on a memorial day would be a violation of their union oath. After finding out how many workers had been called by the company, union members were so angered that they decided themselves to walk out the next day, November 28. The company immediately turned to the Northern District Court of West Alabama, which issued a return-to-work order that evening. The company claimed the walkout violated an "implied no-strike clause."

Despite the court order, workers stayed off the job until afternoon shift of November 30. They decided to go back in after the federal court in Birmingham ordered the union to show why they should not be held in contempt of court. If the union were held in contempt, the punishment, left up to the judge, could range from personal fines to imprisonment. Meanwhile, the original restraining order has been extended for an indefinite period of time.

The company says the new vacation rules will be implemented in January. In the meantime, UMWA officials said the union will continue to protest the changes through the grievance procedure.

The North River mine produced about 2.3 million tons of coal last year, making it the second-largest in the state. Alabama Power buys most of the mine's production.

Susan LaMont is a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees and works in Centreville, Alabama.  
 
 
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