NLRB Orders Coal Co. to Rehire 85 Mine Workers
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered Mammoth Coal Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy, to recognize and bargain with the Mine Workers (UMWA) as the exclusive representative of the workers at its Mammoth Mine in Smithers, W.Va.
The Sept. 30 ruling also orders Mammoth to rehire 85 former workers at the mine who were not hired when Massey bought the operation in 2004. Says UMWA President Cecil Roberts:
This tremendous victory affirms what we have been saying all along. Mammoth Coal had an obligation to recognize the union when it bought this mine out of bankruptcy, and it had an obligation to rehire the miners who were working there at the time the board found were discriminated against because of their union membership.
Court Halts Mandatory Furloughs for Hawaii State Workers, and More Bargaining News
Hawaii state workers won their battle against the governor’s proposals to mandate furloughs, and more updates here from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,100 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
Multiple Unions, Hawaii: Hawaii state workers won their battle against the governor’s proposals to mandate furloughs when a Circuit Court judge ruled the governor does not have the authority to unilaterally order furloughs. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) had ordered state workers to take three furlough days a month for two years starting this month. The governor did not indicate whether she would continue to defend her furlough plans in court. The workers are represented by multiple unions that include Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA-AFSCME), United Public Workers (UPW-Ind.) and Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA-NEA).
