"I am a coal miner, member of the UMWA and vocal in the union," Hinkle continued in the January 17 statement. "If Mr. Italie can lose his job for voicing an opposing opinion, I feel that I and all of my fellow workers can lose theirs for voicing their opinion. Even though I oppose his views on Afghanistan, I feel that he has a right as an American to publicly voice his political views without losing his livelihood."

"As mayor of Miami, representing all the people of Miami, it is your responsibility to address this wrong," Hinkle wrote. "I respectfully request that you show your support for the constitution of the United States so as no one has the fear to lose their job for expressing their political views."

In a letter to the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights in Miami, Lawrence Oliver, president of UMWA Local 1332 at the McKinley mine in Tse Bonito, New Mexico, expressed a similar point of view. He said, "The United Mine Workers of America, Local 1332, District 22, at its meeting on January 17, 2002 approved to endorse Michael Italie's fight to defend his constitutional right, freedom to free speech and civil liberties.

"The local union speaks out against the injustices placed on working families. Mistreatment by Goodwill Industries hits the core of our democratic society and is a blatant and immoral assault on our constitutional rights."

"These two letters mark a step forward in the fight to get Mike Italie's job back," said Jason Alessio, also a member of UMWA 1984 at Deserado. "Both Ed Hinkle and the miners at McKinley were involved in important strikes in the last few years."

The Deserado miners struck Blue Mountain Energy for 11 weeks in 1999 over retirement benefits. The following year, the McKinley miners waged a 12-week strike against Pittsburg & Midway Coal to defend the eight-hour day.

"Coal miners in western Colorado who are part of the effort to get Italie's job back thought that workers who had gone through these experiences would respond to the Italie case," said Alessio. "We were right."

Socialist workers in the area are also planning a trip to Kemmerer, Wyoming, to talk about Italie's fight with a number of former P&M strikers who work at the Kemmerer mine. "We think we will get a good response from them as well," Alessio said.
 
 
Related articles:
Bay Area unionists hit firing of socialist worker
'The right to speak your mind is the most basic right'
'We want to defend the First Amendment'  
 
 
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