Kennedy is a veteran underground coal miner and leader of the fight for a union at Co-Op. Her visit here was hosted by supporters of the Militant Fighting Fund, which raised money for the Militant newspaper to defend itself in a harassment lawsuit by C.W. Mining, the owners of the Co-Op mine, and publicized the fight of other defendants, which included the UMWA and 16 individual miners. The coal bosses filed the suit in September 2004, charging the miners, the UMWA, and others with defamation and other charges. In May, C.W. Mining reached a settlement with the defendants, agreeing to drop its suit and give back pay to several miners who had been fired for union activity. On July 6, a federal judge in Utah signed an order dismissing the suit “with prejudice,” which means the company cannot refile its case.

“When we received messages of support from as far away as New Zealand and Australia people really stood up and took notice,” said Kennedy, speaking to a July 8 meeting at the hall of the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU). Kennedy focused her remarks on how the miners and their supporters defeated the bosses’ retaliatory suit.

She also described how the fight for safe job conditions and livable pay and dignity developed among the miners, most of whom are from Mexico, and the impact of the huge working-class mobilizations for immigrant rights in the United States this year.

At the beginning of the July 8 meeting participants were welcomed by Ian McCarthy, the New South Wales (NSW) branch secretary of the communications division of CEPU. McCarthy is an endorser of the Militant Fighting Fund.

Messages of solidarity were read from unionists and other supporters of the Militant Fighting Fund who could not attend. Andrew Ferguson, NSW state secretary of the construction division of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union sent a message of congratulations to the Co-Op miners for defeating the boss lawsuit. He wrote, “Your victory was a win for all workers fighting for union rights. These types of struggles inspire other workers to fight.”

Participants donated $1,100 toward the cost of Kennedy’s trip.

While here, Kennedy also met unionists and others who had endorsed the Militant Fighting Fund to thank them for their support. Craig Bulley, the producer and presenter on Workers Radio, a morning radio show sponsored by several trade unions, was among them. Kennedy was interviewed on the program July 7, and spoke on another Spanish-language radio show as well.

The U.S. coal miner also met and exchanged experiences with dockworkers, members of the Maritime Union of Australia at Port Botany; and with Lorissa Stevens, a young underground coal miner recently fired for refusing to sign an individual contract with her boss. (See “Miner in Australia fights firing” in last week’s issue.)
 
 
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On the Picket Line
Many mine emergency air devices are found defective
Two more coal miners die on the job in Kentucky, bringing year’s toll to 35  
 
 
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