by Mike Hall, Nov 16, 2006

Peabody Energy is the world’s largest private coal company and operates 33 mines in the United States. Once nearly fully unionized, the company has systematically closed its union mines and replaced them with nonunion operations.

But in recent years, thousands of nonunion miners have turned to the Mine Workers (UMWA) for help in gaining a voice at work. In December 2005, workers at 19 Peabody mines in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia launched the Justice at Peabody campaign.

A Washington Post story today looks at one Peabody mine, the Gateway Mine in Coulterville, Ill. Reporter Dale Russakoff talks to veteran miners who know the value of union membership and the protection it brings in the form of safety, health and retirement security. He also speaks with younger miners, who are focused on the wages, which are much higher than most in an area where jobs with decent pay are hard to find.

Bobby Townsend, 46…speaks with outrage about a company whose stock soared with energy prices and rewarded its departing chief executive with $46 million last year but won’t pay for the health insurance of miners like him when they retire.

“It’s out of balance between the corporate world and the workers, and we have to make a stand,” he said. “We work ourselves to the bone and they go to a gym to get exercise. They look 50 when they’re 70. We look 70 when we’re 50. We spend our life making these people millions of dollars; we ought to at least have pension and medical.”

Russakoff writes that:

Younger workers interviewed throughout the area said they felt they had little leverage to complain about long hours or difficult working conditions because so many people were waiting in line for jobs that pay well. Gateway had 1,300 applicants for its 200 jobs. Middle-aged union supporters say younger workers are naive to think they won’t face supervisors who underestimate danger or play favorites in assigning work, or try to deny their rights if they are injured or lay them off without explanation. They say they’ve seen all this and more.

Veteran miners also are aware of the daily dangers coal miners face. With 45 miners killed on the job this year, 2006 is the deadliest year in the mines since 1995. Mines where UMWA represents workers include union safety committees with strong safety rights.

Click here to read the entire story and here, here and here for more on Peabody miners and their fight to win a voice at work.

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