Mountain State Matters

Photo: Erica Peterson

The Charleston Gazette reported yesterday that the United Mine Workers union won’t oppose a ban on mountaintop removal. In the past, the union has been reluctant to choose a side, I would guess because they’re interested in protecting and representing all miners, not just those employed in underground mines.

This all went down at a panel discussion at the Appalachian Studies Association’s annual meeting on March 29 at Marshall University. As the participants went around the room, naming their goals for the region, several mentioned sustainability (strip mining is anything but sustainable) and environmental concerns. Finally, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Vice President Julian Martin said his only real priority was to “end mountaintop removal.”

The article gave some useful stats on strip mining and the union in West Virginia:

“Statewide, unionized strip mines account for 760 of West Virginia’s 5,400 strip-mining jobs, according to government data. That’s about 14 percent. Unionized strip mines account for 13 percent of the state’s surface coal production, data shows.”

So, I guess it’s not too surprising that UMW Communications Director Phil Smith would be able to take a stand, albeit a hypothetical and tentative one. Then, he backpedaled a bit.

“I don’t think we have a problem with the concept of ending mountaintop removal,” Smith said. “If he had said end mountaintop removal tomorrow, I think we would have had a problem with it.”

Smith said the UMW would continue to support its members who are currently working on strip mines. The union is also actively trying to organize existing nonunion strip jobs, Smith said.

“If there were suddenly 5,000 UMW jobs in mountaintop removal instead of 500, there would be a political element within the union to deal with that,” Smith said. “President Roberts and the union can’t pick and choose which workers to represent and which not to represent.”

Want to learn more about mountaintop removal? I Love Mountains made a pretty cool video about it.