4-25, Gillette Wyoming 7:15 am: Mine Workers to Protest at Arch Coal Annual Meeting

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.umwa.org/




From e-mail.

United Mine Workers of America

For immediate release: April 24, 2013

Mine Workers in Wyoming to Protest

at Arch Coal and Peabody Energy Annual Meetings, Apr. 25th and Apr. 29th



Workers and Community Allies Fight for Retiree Benefits, Fairness for Active Workers as St. Louis-based Companies Relocate Shareholder Meetings 1,000+ Miles from Their HQ



Gillette, Wyoming: A delegation of more than a dozen retired and active mine workers from West Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky and Florida will travel to Wyoming this week to protest at the annual shareholder meetings of Arch Coal on Thursday April 25th and Peabody Energy on Monday, April 29th.



Who: Active and retired members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and community allies

What: Leafleting and protesting at annual shareholders meeting

When and Where:

Thursday, April 25th –Arch Coal Annual Meeting

7:15 am – leafleting by UMWA members and supporters

8:00 am -- Annual meeting

Wright Hotel, 300 Reata Drive, Wright, Wyoming



Monday, April 29th – Peabody Energy Annual Meeting

3:00 pm – leafleting by UMWA members and supporters

4:00 pm – Annual meeting

Gillette College, 300 Sinclair Street, Gillette Wyoming



Both companies have moved their annual meetings more than 1,000 miles from their respective headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., after repeated protests by thousands of members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and community allies.

More than 2,000 people attended the most recent St. Louis protest, as demonstrators placed 1,000 white crosses in memory of deceased miners and those currently put at risk by Arch Coal and Peabody Energy. Fourteen people were arrested in front of Peabody’s St. Louis headquarters.

“Wyoming is a wonderful destination,”said UMWA President Cecil Roberts, “but these companies didn’t travel 1,000 miles from their corporate headquarters to give shareholders a chance to admire the scenery. They want as few people as possible to see what they’re doing to retired miners, families and active workers.”

“Every coal miner knows that to work safely, you need to shine a light on what’s happening around you. We’re going to shine a light on these companies, to protect our members and to keep other workers safe from corporate schemes to abandon retirees and cut pay and benefits for active workers.”

UMWA members and supporters object to actions taken by both Arch Coal and Peabody Energy to offload their obligations to retired miners and surviving spouses to a new company, Patriot Coal, formed in 2007. With 43 percent of Peabody’s retiree obligations, but just 11 percent of its assets – as well as additional Arch Coal obligations acquired from Magnum Coal – Patriot has been described by Temple University professor of finance Bruce Rader as a company “designed to fail.”

Patriot filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Louis for drastic reductions in health care for retired miners and surviving spouses, as well as severe cuts in pay, benefits and working conditions for active miners.

In a recent interview with the West Virginia State Journal, Patriot CEO Ben Hatfield essentially admitted what UMWA members have been saying for months: His company was established in 2007 with not enough assets to meet its liabilities. At the time, Hatfield was CEO of International Coal Group:

"Frankly, as a competitor, we looked at that and said ‘how could that work?' It looks like a bad balance here – too many liabilities and not enough assets," Hatfield said….”As a competitor we were very suspect from the day the spin was announced as to whether this venture could survive.

"It's one of the areas where I frankly agree with many of things (UMWA President) Cecil Roberts has said. Something doesn't quite smell right here."


Further information about the UMWA campaign to stand up for retired miners and family members from Arch Coal and Peabody Energy, and active workers at Patriot Coal is at www.FairnessAtPatriot.org.

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[GentryDixon]

1. My grandfather and his brothers had a coal mine

in Gillette in the early 1900's.

My dad was born there, and I still have cousins there. It is amazing the amount of coal they move through that town. There are so many workers from far & wide it is impossible to find a place to stay if you don't have kin. I hope people who are traveling for this meeting have a place to stay, without having to travel to Casper or Sheridan.