Massey's big mess
Coal miners fight union-busting bankruptcy
By David Hoskins
Charleston, W. Va.
Allegations have been flying that Horizon Natural Resources
and Massey Energy Co. have conspired to undermine the wages and
benefits of unionized workers. In response, a progressive
coalition of miners, students and community activists was
formed after a fightback rally in a town near the Cannelton, W.
Va., coal mine.
In September of this year Horizon placed its Cannelton mine
on idle and laid off all its unionized workforce. Horizon
recently sold the mine to Massey Energy Co. Union activists
claim that Massey did not place the highest bid; other bidders
had promised to keep the union workforce mostly intact.
Horizon had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November
2002. This is the second time that owners of this company have
used the bankruptcy court to slide out of their obligations to
the workers. Horizon is a reincarnation of AEI Resources Inc.,
which had filed for bankruptcy in February 2002. According to
the company's web site, "Less than three months later, on May
9, it emerged as Horizon, the nation's fourth-largest coal
company. Horizon operates 42 mines, including 27 surface and 15
underground, in five states: Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois,
Indiana and Colorado."
The United Mine Workers of America protested the recent sale
of Horizon because it would strip more than 5,000 active and
retired coal miners of health benefits and job security.
The federal bankruptcy judge overseeing the sale allowed
Massey's assault on the union to go forward when he gave
permission to cancel the union contracts for current workers
and retirees. Massey, the new owner of the mine, has since
fired over 250 coal miners in West Virginia for connections
with the UMWA. Retirees have lost the healthcare and pension
benefits they were depending on after exiting the workforce,
adding to the 270,000 West Virginians who already lack
healthcare.
In a move reminiscent of the West Virginia Coal Mine Wars of
1912-1921, Massey has placed armed guards on the premises to
intimidate workers and the community into submission.
This declaration of war on the working class by Massey
Energy is nothing new to Appa lachians. For years Massey has
been plagued by a bad reputation for union busting and
environmental destruction.
At an Oct. 21 UMWA rally at a packed high school gym in
Smithers, W. Va., near Cannelton, miners and the union promised
to stand up and fight to regain their voice in the workplace.
If Massey thought it was going to close this deal in the
comfort of the courtroom, it is sadly mistaken. Students,
miners and community activists are uniting in what looks to be
a long struggle as workers fight back against Massey's war on
the workers.
This progressive coalition is demanding a return of
healthcare benefits to all retirees, retention of the union and
its current contract, the removal of all armed guards from the
Cannelton mine, and an investigation into the purchase of
Horizon Mines by Massey Energy. One thing that this ordeal
makes abundantly clear to West Virginians is that the business
tycoons, government and judges in this country are not on the
side of the workers and their families.
Reprinted from the Nov. 11, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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