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| Militant/Linda Joyce |
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SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. — Hundreds of United Mine Workers of America members and supporters came from all over West Virginia and parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania Aug. 17 to march to Patriot Coal’s headquarters here, protesting the company’s plans to use the bankruptcy process to ditch its contract with the UMWA and stop payments to the union’s 1974 pension plan.
“We worked all our lives and now we may lose our pensions,” said Ermal Jay Walker, a retired miner and member of UMWA Local 93 from Mingo County. “We made them billions and now they say they are out of money.” Representatives of the United Steelworkers, building trades and painters unions, American Federation of Government Employees, Communications Workers of America and others came to support the coal miners. “Don’t let the wealthy get their money first,” Daniel Kane, UMWA secretary treasurer, told the rally. “We need economic justice for everyone.” He called for Congress to change U.S. bankruptcy laws. UMWA President Cecil Roberts, third from right behind banner above, marched and addressed the rally. “We cannot turn our backs on what has already been promised,” Barbara Ward, a coal miner for 35 years and member of UMWA Local 1713 in Pineville, told the Militant. ”We need to make our voices heard — whatever it takes!” |
| — LINDA JOYCE |