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Update: Mine Workers Support Obama with Day of Protest |
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Last week, a West Virginia coal company tried to drive a wedge between the Mine Workers (UMWA) and Barack Obama. The UMWA members showed they wouldn’t stand for it.
On Monday, more than 440 UMWA members called a one-day work stoppage at the Blacksville, W.Va., mine to protest an attempt by Consol, the coal company for which they work, to manipulate the election. Every member took part, halting coal production for the day.
Consol had allowed a camera crew from the National Rifle Association (NRA) onto their worksite, and management instructed miners to talk with the camera crew, who asked dishonest and leading questions meant to sow doubts about Obama.
The NRA camera crew was hoping to mislead miners about Obama’s record. Obama supports the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, and is committed to protecting access to hunting and fishing areas—but the NRA tried to catch miners on videotape saying otherwise. It’s a cheap political stunt, and the miners let both the NRA and Consol know they wouldn’t fall for it.
Eric Greathouse, vice president and safety chairman of UMWA Local 1702, said he was offended by Consol’s attempt to manipulate the election.
This was a surprise visit, and a lot of the miners felt this was a direct slap in the face of the union because they were trying to coerce our people into saying things against Barack Obama.
UMWA Local 1702 member Mark Dorsey is one of the union members who stayed home.
Consol doesn’t let anybody on their property—never. And for them to let the NRA come on the property and solicit our membership was totally uncalled for. We made our endorsement through our political process, and we didn’t bother them, and they shouldn’t be harassing our membership over this.
The union movement, fundamentally, is about workers coming together and protecting their rights in the workplace and as voters. UMWA Local 1702 this week showed they wouldn’t tolerate management attempts at intimidating them.
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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
3 Comments
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So the UMW don’t like goups who are tryign to tell the truth about a candidate?
Maybe Cecil can tell the UMW workers at Remington why they are backing a candidate who voted to ban the 11-87 shotgun they make? Or the Remington 597 .22 rifle?
Here in Illinois we saw Obama’s action on trying to ban our guns and sue manufacturers like Remington out of business. But hey it’s all democrats all the time for the AFL and most unions. No matter what.
Who is Cecil and since when did the UMWA start representing the workers at Remington? I’m afraid I can’t follow your logic. What are you driving at?
Why was the NRA at the UMWA work site to begin with. The workers were smart enough to know when someone is asking misleading questions in an attempt to manipulate particular answers. The NRA fails to make a distinction between the “right to bear arms” and the right to carry assault weapons. Obama has no problem with any person being able to possess a legally owned handgun or rifle. The NRA is just looking for a fight, with no justification. The NRA has predominantly sided with Republicans, which is why Republicans are now trying everything in their power to discredit Obama. Well, guess the UMWA just politely said, “get out of my face.” I would have, too.