The United Mine Workers of America confirmed late Tuesday that Cobalt Coal’s Westchester operation in McDowell County – the subject of the one-season run of the “Coal” television documentary/reality series on American station SpikeTV – is at the center of the new complaint filed by the NLRB.
According to the UMWA, the union won an organizing drive at the mine when workers voted for representation, but Cobalt and two other entities “failed to bargain in good faith” on the deal, instead contracting out operations to non-union W&F Coal Sales.
As a result of the turn to third-party workers, it laid off its original employees.
The union said that no effort was made to recall the furloughed union workers, and both the UMWA and NLRB have alleged that the move was a violation of federal law.
“I am pleased that the NLRB has agreed with us that the injustices perpetrated by Cobalt against its employees must be remedied,” union president Cecil Roberts said.
“These miners only wanted to win a fair contract so that they could better provide for their families, make their jobs safer and be respected at their workplace.
“Every working American deserves a safe workplace, with dignity and respect on the job, but far too many employers these days are willing to break the law to deny these basic rights to workers…[w]hen an employer does that to UMWA members, we fight back."
Cobalt has so far not made public comment on the situation.
The UMWA said that the labor board is seeking reinstatement of the original workers to their jobs as well as an order for Cobalt to be a party to good faith bargaining with the UMWA>
“The true 'reality' about Cobalt Coal is that management never cared a minute for its workers' safety on the job or their rights as Americans to have a voice in their workplace,” UMWA International District 17 vice president Joe Carter said.
“The UMWA will continue our fight to win fairness for these miners.”
A hearing on the case has been set for February 4 beginning at 9am. The location of the event has not yet been announced.
