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Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Many of the struggles that our union has taken on over the years are still with us. We
are still fighting for better mine safety legislation and enforcement. We are still defending the right to organize in the face of even stronger attacks
from the anti-union corporations and their political allies.
Throughout our history, positive change has taken place step-by-step. Yet even when it seems that our movement takes one step backward for
every two steps forward, the overall direction is forward.
The MINER Act of 2006 is a good example. When it was enacted, the MINER Act was a good first step in enhancing mine safety - but not enough
for us to rest easy. Nor could it legislate away the greed that causes mine operators, regardless of the law, to seek ways to boost profits by cutting
corners on safety. The need for expanded legislation, strong enforcement and constant monitoring will always be with us.
And then there is organizing. The NLRA gives American workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively. But the world has changed
dramatically since it was passed in 1935. Today, employers enlist an army of union-busting attorneys to threaten and intimidate workers, delay
certification and block first contracts. Their actions are frequently sanctioned by a National Labor Relations Board packed with their cronies and
appointed by an anti-worker White House. Thus the need for the Employee Free Choice Act.
It is no exaggeration to say that without the persistent lobbying efforts of the UMWA - backed up by the informed political activism of its membership
- most of the laws governing worker rights and workplace justice, would not be on the books today. The active involvement of our members in the
political process has made a world of difference in the lives of not just ourselves and our kin, but also our neighbors, our communities, and
working families throughout our nation. The 2008 UMWA calendar celebrates that history.
There is no more direct and effective way to bring about positive change than at the ballot box. Time and time again throughout our history, the
success of our political efforts has depended hugely on ensuring that those who hold high elected office - those who make the policy decisions
that affect our lives - support the aspirations of working people.
As with every leap year, 2008 presents us with an opportunity to significantly change the direction of our country. Our history has always
intersected with public policy issues, both in terms of how they affect us and in how we influence them. With the Presidency, the House of
Representatives and one-third of the Senate up for election, as well as countless state and local offices, Mine Workers can have a tremendous
impact on how the next chapter of our history will be written.
In the coming weeks and months, our union will be calling on each and every one of us to take a stand and help to determine our future. With so
many vital issues on the table - energy, climate change, health care, mine safety, the right to organize, foreign trade, war and peace, to name just a
few - this promises to be an exciting and vitally important election season. So get involved. Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about the
issues that concern you most. Attend rallies, work the phone banks, go door-to-door to help get out the vote. Most important, VOTE!
Have a safe, healthy and peaceful 2008!
A Message from President Roberts and Secretary-Treasurer Kane
Throughout the 117-year history of our union, the UMWA has been in the forefront of every major
battle to improve the social and economic standing of working families.
We fought for the 8-hour day and an end to child labor in our earliest days - and eventually won
those battles. We fought to expand the right to organize in the 1920s and 1930s, and won that
battle with the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in 1935.
We fought for health care and pensions for miners whose bodies were bent and used up by years
of working.
We fought for health and safety laws as tens of thousands of our fathers, grandfathers, brothers,
uncles and sons were killed in the mines or died gasping for breath with black lung, eventually
winning that battle with the passage of the landmark Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.
Throughout the 117-year history of our union, the UMWA has been in the forefront of every major
battle to improve the social and economic standing of working families.
We fought for the 8-hour day and an end to child labor in our earliest days - and eventually won
those battles. We fought to expand the right to organize in the 1920s and 1930s, and won that
battle with the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in 1935.
We fought for health care and pensions for miners whose bodies were bent and used up by years
of working.
We fought for health and safety laws as tens of thousands of our fathers, grandfathers, brothers,
uncles and sons were killed in the mines or died gasping for breath with black lung, eventually
winning that battle with the passage of the landmark Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.
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