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Mass Workers' Rally at BlackRock's New York Headquarters Striking Alabama Coal Miners Adopt Bold Slogan We Are One!
Hundreds of striking Alabama coal miners and their supporters rallied on July 28 outside the headquarters of the massive hedge fund BlackRock, the largest investor in Warrior Met Coal, Inc. More than 1,100 workers from two Warrior Met Coal Mines in Brookwood, Alabama, have been on strike since April 1, demanding wages, benefits and working conditions commensurate with the work they do. The miners are members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Locals 2245, 2397, 2368 and 2427 representing workers at Warrior Met's #4 Mine, #5 Mine processing plant, #7 Mine and the company's Central Shop, all located near Brookwood. Striking workers at the New York rally, wearing shirts with the slogans "We Are One" and "We Are Everywhere," chanted "No contract, no coal!" and "Warrior Met Coal ain't got no soul!" as passing trucks and cars honked in support. They were joined by fellow coal miners from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, as well as members of the labour movement in New York City. Also lending support was actress Susan Sarandon. The workers set up their picket line outside the entrance to BlackRock's offices, where they spoke out about their struggle to provide for their families.       
"Warrior Met is the creation of a shadowy network of New York hedge funds and investment banks," said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. He explained that in 2016, workers took a $6-an-hour cut in wages and reduced benefits in their contract after Walter Energy, which eventually became Warrior Met Coal, declared bankruptcy in 2015. "The workers gave up more than $1.1 billion in wages, health care benefits, pensions, and more to allow Warrior Met to emerge from bankruptcy five years ago. The company has enjoyed revenue in excess of $3.4 billion in that time. But it does not want to recognize the sacrifices these workers made to allow it to exist in the first place. All those billions came up to New York to fatten the bank accounts of the already-rich," Roberts said. "BlackRock is the largest shareholder of Warrior Met stock. We are simply following the money, and demanding that those who created that wealth get their fair share of it." UMWA rejected a contract offered up by the company in April, just a few weeks after the strike began, which would have given workers a $1.50 per hour pay increase over five years. Workers are demanding pay and benefits to match what they were receiving before the contract that was signed in 2016. Warrior Met's current offer is $2 per hour in raises over the next five years. The company recently paid bonuses to upper-level management, the union informs. "It's about time to get what we deserve. We brought this company out of bankruptcy," said a striking miner. "We deserve to get back what we had." Miners also inform that the company has imposed untenable working conditions, where on top of the difficult and dangerous conditions they face in the mine, they are expected to work seven days a week, up to 16 hours a day, and face termination for missing more than four days of work, except in the case of a family death. Brian Kelly, 50, a third-generation miner and President of UMWA Local 2245, attended the protest with his wife, two daughters and grandson. He pointed out that many of the workers struggle to pay medical bills as health care has become more expensive for them. "We have debt collectors all over our people because we can't afford to pay these bills," Kelly said. "There used to be a little respect for people who go down there ... and this company just lost all respect for us." The company brought in replacement workers to break the strike. However, the workers report that safety conditions have worsened and the company is running below capacity, scaling back production at one mine while closing another. The strike has also forced the company to stop development of a new project, along with halting stock buybacks. Carl White, 35, President of UMWA Local 2397, said that BlackRock likely sees "that this company is not performing like it did when the union workers were in these coal mines. We're not asking for much here," White said. "It's time to come to the table and give us a fair and decent contract." It is the workers that produce the wealth, from whose increasing and untenable exploitation Warrior Met and BlackRock are making their massive profits. Yet in a statement to Bloomberg, Warrior Met turns the real world on its head to portray its existence as being threatened by the workers' just demands: "We have and will continue to work with the UMWA to reach a fair and reasonable contract that provides our employees with a competitive package while protecting jobs and ensuring the longevity of the company." The protest in New York is one of multiple protests UMWA has held for the current strike. Nearly a dozen workers were arrested and charged with trespassing during a May 25 protest at a Warrior Met Coal mine in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the entrance was blocked to stop replacement workers from entering and exiting the mine at shift change. The UMWA informs that it has held "many solidarity rallies at Tannehill State Park in Bessemer, Alabama to bring miners, families and supporters together to discuss the importance of remaining diligent in the fight against the coal company. The UMWA has received an immense amount of support from our labour brothers and sisters, local politicians and the surrounding communities since announcing its action to strike." (With files from UMWA and news agencies.)
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