Building Bridges radio, produced by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash ***************************************** Part 1 of a 2 part program to be sent next week Alabama Striking Coal Miners, 4 Months on the Picket Line Say A Fair Contract Is A Matter of Life & Breath! with . Cecil Edward Roberts, Jr., Pres. of the United Mine Workers of America (UMA), a sixth-generation coal miner and one of the labor movements most stirring orators . Braxton Wright, striking coal miner . Haeden Wright, pres. of a local UMWA womens auxiliary unit
For the first time in four decades, union mine workers in Alabama are taking part in a historic strike, accusing Warrior Met Coal of exploiting workers and now inspiring violence against them on the picket line. More than three months in, the historic labor action has been ignored by CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC, says Media Matters, but certainly not Building Bridges. The origins of the strike lie in the 2016 takeover of a failing coal company by Warrior Met, leading to profits for the buyer alongside lower pay and loss of benefits for the workers. The miners in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, who were caught up in the acquisition faced dramatic pay cuts and weaker safety measures for what is one of the nations most dangerous professions, leading to multiple charges of unfair labor practices levied against Warrior Met.
Produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg
please notify us if you plan to broadcast this radio program - knash@igc.org