United Citizens for Coal
Cecil Roberts! Rich Trumka! I am calling you out! It’s time to get out of your offices, get your noses out of the White House and put them in the RIGHT house – the bath house at the mine. Get down here to the coalfields of Appalachia and DO something!
Both of you are earning a comfortable living up there in Washington, DC playing the role of power-broker for the Democratic Party, but that ISN’T what you were elected by the members of the UMWA and the AFL-CIO to do! You weren’t elected to work for the Democratic Party. You were elected to represent US!
The time is long past for you to do what you were elected to do and join us in fighting – in REALLY fighting – this war on coal YOUR president has declared.
And I am calling out West Virginia’s elected representatives as well! You were elected by the people of West Virginia. We gave you our trust and our support. Now is the time to quit talking and start walking. We need to see you HERE! You need to be on the frontlines of our fight EVERY SINGLE DAY!
Today, another 2,250 West Virginia coal miners received notices of layoffs and WARN notices. West Virginia’s coalfields are being decimated by the actions of this administration. Kentucky and Virginia coalfields have already been nearly destroyed.
And all we hear from you all is that “well, the president has set aside $38 million to retrain coal miners.”
That is pure unadulterated crap and you know it.
Let’s put the number of layoffs and potential layoffs reported today in perspective…. when you multiply those 2,250 coal jobs that could be lost by the standard economic multiplier for mining jobs that means that an additional 11,250 jobs could be lost throughout the mining support and service industries. That equals a total of 13,500 jobs that could be lost to the economy. And that means $637.5 million dollars could be lost to the region’s economy in wages alone.
Add to that the millions that could be lost in severance, millions more in other taxes, and the damage and potential damage would be crippling – well over $1 billion. And that is only the latest losses. When you combine this with the losses we have already seen over the past few years, you are looking at more than 20,000 coal miners, over 100,000 total jobs and tens of billions lost to the region’s economy. FOR NO GAIN!
Studies show it won’t make any difference in the foercasted rise in global temperatures (if you actually believe the forecasts), it won’t make any difference in the projected sea level rise or CO2 content in the air (if you believe those projections). It will only COST– and right now it is the coal miners of Appalachia and our families who are paying the price for Obama’s insanity.
So, I say again – ROBERTS, TRUMKA, get off your butts and get down here! Trumka, you claim you have the president’s ear. How about using it to help us rather than building your damn Blue-Green Coalition and tossing us aside like used toilet paper?
And to our elected officials, we need REAL legislation and we need you to take the fight TO Obama. Do what has to be done! Obama is destroying this region! He is killing our economy! And he is tearing to shreds the Constitution! He is making a mockery of Congress! He’s making a mockery of YOU!
Show him what a united Congress can do! Strip him of his power! Take away the money! Sue him! Bring him up for impeachment!
Cecil, I do want to thank you for your help and hard work during the Patriot bankruptcy, but we are long past that. What’s going on now will make the Patriot bankruptcy look like a flea on a dog’s back. We are talking about the complete devastation of our entire region – the destruction of our entire industry, all the jobs and all the retirees’ pensions that go along with it.
We need a nationwide strike! Not against the coal companies. We need to strike against the Obama Administration and the EPA. Let’s shut this country down for a while and see what happens.
Let’s do what a REAL union leader, John L. Lewis, would have done. He would have told Obama to shove the EPA up his butt and offered to do it for him! And as Mother Jones said, “you pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” It’s time to fight.
John L. would have no qualms about calling for a nationwide strike.
Where are you John L? The nation needs you today! We obviously don’t have any real labor leaders anymore.
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6 comments
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May 23, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Tim Williams
I would like to ask Cecil Roberts and Rich Trumka this: How is that hope and change working out for you? Cecil Roberts & Rich Trumka has always backed liberal democrats knowing how they felt about the coal miners. They back Al Gore John Kerry and Obama and look at the coal miners today. Loosing their jobs because of UNION leaders like Roberts and Trumka back such politicians. Again how is that hope and change working out for you? Ask the Coal Miners that have lost their jobs because of you supporting such people!
May 26, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Bobnews
It is time for minors to wake up from their long slumber by voting for Trumpka and guys like him who worship at the feet of any Democrat no matter how much it hurts working people. The Union is a criminal enterprise robbing working people on behalf of the Democrat Party. How many Union guys went out and worked for Democrats? How many voted for Democrats including Obama? The Chickens have come home to roost. Think Detroit.
May 28, 2015 at 12:12 am
Jim Mays
I think its time to get Roberts out. I didn’t vote him in for life and I’m not the only one that feels this way. Not by a long shot. He backed that piece of shit Obama even though he ran on destroying the coal industry. He talks a big game but all he cares about is having a seat at the democrats table even though that party as a whole wants coal to go away. Its easy to get arrested for protestinf when you know you wont get prosecuted. Its time for him to go.
May 28, 2015 at 3:02 am
David Luton
You can not tell me with all that is happening that the international had no idea. If so you are a bunch of ingnorent coal minets. I don’t think so may God have mercy on your soul and all those who planed the taking down of this fine working generation of family’s….
May 28, 2015 at 9:30 am
dennis plum
signaling the total disregard for its workers the umwa endorsed 2 democrats over republican rivals in the senate races in coal dependant states following obomos decelaration of war on coal in 2008 the umwa endorsed obomo in his first campaign now with the coal industry in a free fall the umwa fought to keep senate democrats in power the umwa supported sec of state dem tennant over rep capito for senate seat vacated by rockefellar in kentucky umwa endorsed sec of state dem alison grimes over rep senate minority leader mitch mcconnell they both say they support coal do they really look around manchin hasnt supported why should grimes an tennant by supporting these 2 the umwa is showing itself as being a bunch of liberals that put liberal ideas before the interests of its members the rank an file members should be outraged that there dues r puttn them on the unemployment line this way of voting doesnt work but still the umwa is doing all it can to keep democrats an all other anti coal democrats in power power the coal industry has been destroyed since the democrats controlled congress during the first term the president your president not mine pushed for cap an trade after that bill failed he used his executive branch authrity thru the epa to keep his promise of destroying coal his abuse of power is destroying a industry by regulating it to death the desert sun reports the coal industry has lost 17 000 jobs since 2011 84 percent being in wv an kentucky boone county loss was 44 percent all the while the newyork times says obomo is seeking an international agreement on climate change the only chance coal has is for congress to control the epa thru the approprate process the umwa should be outraged but looks as if the leadership is choosing politics over its membership we all have seen what the democratic party an its supporters have done look what trumka done so sad but think of this many still support obomo an the evil this administration hands out would it be because of being democrat sad oo so sad how easily a people can be deceived makes me think of a scripture in the king james bible in the last days he would send a strong delusion that they would believe a lie this has to be the most corrupt time in the history of the united states if not of all time sad so very sad think of this historians r discovering that the bible perhaps even more than the constitution is our founding document the united states is suppose to be a beacon to the world look at her look what greed corruption sinful lusts has done bible says judgement starts at the gates of a nation
May 29, 2015 at 12:37 am
Velma B. Samms
The UMWA is in a fight like no other time in history. When the UMWA’s members try to get fame through media — all it does is divide and conquer. These comments should be addressed only at the local union halls — or any union meeting. What you are doing is feeding right into the coal companies’ hands!!!