Does the UMWA still exist?
Triangle, Virginia, U.S. The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada.
Who does the UMWA represent?
The United Mine Workers of America is a diverse union with membership that includes coal miners, manufacturing workers, clean coal technicians, health care workers, corrections officers and public employees throughout the United States and Canada.
Who was the organizer of the United Mine Workers of America?
John L. Lewis
From 1920 to 1960 the UMWA was led by John L. Lewis, a persuasive labour organizer. In 1933 Lewis capitalized on the pro-labour mentality of the New Deal by organizing the Appalachian coalfields.
What did the United Mine Workers of America accomplish?
Union goals included higher wages, reasonable hours, fair pay practices, safer conditions, and an end to child labor.
Is there a movie about Blair Mountain?
Film Description Decades of violence, strikes, assassinations and marches accompanied their attempts to form a union, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War.
How much do mine workers get paid?
Operators / technicians / miners – $150,000 to $165,000 The annual salaries of technicians, electricians and fitters range between $50,000 and $150,000. Underground miners earn more than $150,000 per year, much higher than that earned by surface miners whose annual salary ranges between $50,000 and $85,000.
Why was the UMWA formed?
The UMWA was formed in 1890 in Columbus, Ohio, when Knights of Labor Trade Assembly No. 135 merged with the National Progressive Union of Miners and Mine Laborers. This combined union banned discrimination against any members based on race, national origin, or religion.
How many people died at Blair Mountain?
There were at least 16 confirmed deaths in the battle, though no one knows exactly how many were killed before the US Army marched in to put a stop to the fighting. The roadside marker and the spent shell casings found in the hillsides are the only reminders at Blair Mountain that this took place.
How did the mine wars end?
The Battle of Blair Mountain ended when President Warren G. Harding placed the region under martial law, and ordered 2,500 federal soldiers and a squadron of bomber aircraft into the state. The Miners’ March ended the Mine Wars. Keeney fell into dispute with the national president of the UMWA, John L.
Do coal miners still get black lung?
In 2018, black lung disease in miners hit a 25-year high. In Appalachia, cases of black lung rose to levels unseen since the 1970s, when modern coal dust regulations were implemented. “The dust is never removed from the lungs, so even after people are exposed it can continue to cause problems.