BY ALBERTO VALDIVIA  
Since September 2003, coal miners have been trying to organize the Co-op mine in Price, Utah. The fight to organize the mine has been momentous, with firings, lockouts, threats of deportation, suits against the miners, and other deplorable actions.

Here’s the back story: C.W. Mining owns the Co-op mine, where workers make from $5.75 to $7 per hour, while the average mining wage in Utah is about $21. In September 2003 the Co-op miners attempted to affiliate with the United Mineworkers of America, and C.W. Mining reacted by locking them out. In September 2004 the National Labor Relations Board stepped in and brokered a deal in which C.W. Mining would not admit to any wrongdoing, and an election for representation between the United Mine Workers of America and the company union, the International Association of United Workers, would take place. Of the ten mines operating in Utah, only two are organized by the UMWA. On the eve of the election in December, the company fired 30 miners, leaving only 39 miners eligible to vote in the election.

The struggle of the Co-op miners for union representation by the UMWA has received positive widespread coverage in the media. As a result, C.W. Mining has initiated a mind-boggling mass suit against media outlets and organizations for publicizing the organizing efforts of the miners. Included in the suit are the United Mine Workers, the Salt Lake Tribune, and the Deseret Morning News, among others. Among those dropped from the original suit are the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake George Niederauer, the Price Sun Advocate, the Emery County Register, and the National Organization for Women.

The fight of the Co-op miners is a struggle for what all employees want: decent pay, a safe work environment, sick days, health benefits, the right to be treated with dignity while on the job, and the right to be paid a fair wage for a day’s work. In spite of severe economic and emotional deprivation, the Co-op miners have stuck together and supported each other, while reaching out to anyone who would listen to them and help publicize their organizing drive.

This struggle is just one among many going on throughout the United States. The right to belong to a union should be a basic right of all workers. Presently, approximately 13 percent of the U.S. workforce is organized (that number jumps to 16 percent in Los Angeles County). With nonunion workers losing health benefits, pension plans, seniority on the job, and other workplace rights, the positive role that unions play is obvious.

Without unions, the fight of U.S. workers for a decent work environment and fair pay would be much harder. Hopefully these efforts to organize unions at the workplace will increase as employees in the U.S. continue to face stagnant wages, decreased benefits, and low morale at their work sites.

When others support union organizing drives, it helps all workers at their jobs. The stronger and more united the union movement is, the stronger and more united the workplace will be.

Support the miners: Because of the harassment, lack of work, and threats against deportation that the Co-op miners have faced, they are in desperate need of funds to continue their organizing campaign and to make this organizing drive a success. Please help these brothers and sisters of the labor movement attain their goal of affiliation with the UMWA. If you would like to make an individual donation to the Co-op Miners UMW organizing drive, please send it to: Alberto Valdivia, Treasurer, UTLA, 3303 Wilshire Blvd 10th FL, L.A., CA 90010. Please make your checks out to UTLA/Co-op miners.
 
 
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