How UMWA won Pittston strike

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KRIKE

Roger Nelson, a representative of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), toured the Los Angeles area on March 1-12. The tour was arranged by, among others, Jack Foley, director of OCAW District 1, and Dave Campbell, executive board member of OCAW Local 1-547.

Nelson was an underground miner for 18 years until he was laid off in 1986. When the Pittston strike began in 1989, he went on staff for the UMWA international. He was the coordinator of Camp Solidarity in West Virginia and was also the site coordinator for both the Pittston Coal Sales strike and the Rum Creek Coal Sales strike.

Nelson now faces 21 contempt charges for violations of Federal Court orders to stop mass picketing at the mines. He gave the following interview to Socialist Action.—KATHLEEN O'NAN Socialist Action: After an 11-month struggle, the Pittston strike is now over. How do you view the settlement?

Roger Nelson: We definitely call it a victory for the union. About a year ago, Pittston cut off 1500 retired pensioners and took their healthcare from them. At the end of the strike this was put back in. The pensioners are now covered by the Pittston Coal Group. It was a hard battle-almost 11 months long.

S.A.: It's not easy to win strikes these days. What was it about your strike that allowed you to win.

Nelson: Through most of the mine wars, the miners have always taken the battle into their own hands. This is what happened with WITH GOO this strike. Our tactics of civil disobedience and non-violent protest proved effective.

Nearly 4000 people were arrested in southwestern Virginia. The people who were arrested had to put up a $25,000 bond. Do you know that people who sell dope and rapists get off with about a $2000 bond.

S.A.: By civil disobedience, do you mean mass picketlines?

Nelson: Exactly. This civil disobedience was our main tactic-and it paid off greatly. Not only did the miners in southwestern Virginia participate, but among the 4000 who were arrested I'd say that maybe a third of them were from other labor organizatons in this country. Without them backing us in this Pittston battle, I don't believe we'd be where we're at today.

S.A.: While in Los Angeles, you walked picketlines and spoke at rallies for the Eastern Airlines strikers (IAM).xtbe Greyhound strikers (ATU), the LaMode strikers (ILGWU). What was your message to them—particularly to the Eastern strikers?

Nelson: I told the Eastern workers that I was glad to see that they were as determined to fight these big corporate baron companies as we were. But my message was also directed at workers at the other airlines who failed to back Eastern.

The way I look at it, workers at TWA, United, and all the other airlines let their brothers at Eastern down. I think that if every one of them had stood together and showed their unity and solidarity, the Eastern workers would have had a contract in about a week. You shut down one of these big major airports, such as the LAX [Los Angeles Donna Binder/Impact Visuals International Airport], let me tell you, that's letting them know, "You're gonna get smashed."

The guys at the other airlines who didn't come out and support their Eastern brothers remind me of the situation we were all put in back in 1981, when Reagan fired the PATCO workers.

We all let those people down, you know. I'm the first one to admit it. That is why I'm telling people all across this country that the companies, the government, and the courts are working against the working man. Strikes in this country are no longer short strikes. They're long-term strikes that are after busting unions.

That's what they're trying to do at Eastern; the strike is over a year old right now. My message in Los Angeles was that if every labor organization in this country joined together as one, the longest strike would be one week.

S.A.: The courts have $64.5 million in fines hanging over your heads. What are you going to do about this?

Nelson: We haven't paid any of this fine-and we don't intend to pay any.

S.A.: Workers at some of the smaller "truck" mines that leased out to Pittston are still out on strike. The owners of these mines refuse to sign the agreement in an attempt to bust the union. What is their status?

Nelson: One company that was tied in behind the scenes to the Pittston Coal Group was Rum Creek Coal Sales. Right now they've moved the replacement workers into the plant. We've had picketlines set up for them.

They moved some coal from one place into the operation but the coal that they moved in was coal that had been sitting for long periods of time and the BTU was low. They're not making any money off it. The only way to break these companies is to keep them from making money.

S.A.: What is the status of the miners who face charges for their strike-related activities?

Nelson: Eleven miners were framed on charges at the Milburn Colliery coal processing plant in Fayette County, West Virginia. The trials are now over; they face 33 months in a federal penitentiary. For us, they are heroes.

The courts always rule against the workers. Seven miners were killed at four mines in Virginia in 1983. We had a mine explosion, and the company was found guilty on violations that caused the mine explosion— but the company was only fined $47,000 by the federal government During our Pittston strike last summer we held a memorial service for those seven guys who had given their lives. The service was held at the entrance of the McClure mine. We had a prayer service, a gentleman placed a flag at the gate to the McClure mine-and our union was fined $1 million for these actions. We even had kids who were arrested for riding bicycles by the picketlines.

I'm a representative with the United Mine Workers, but the courts not only work against the United Mine Workers, they work against every labor organization in this country.

S.A.: Tell us about yourself. You were the coordinator of Camp Solidarity in West Virginia.

Nelson: That's right. Camp Solidarityparticularly the one in Virginia—was probably the most important tool in the Pittston fight. We had preachers, pastors, people from as far away as England, Finland, Wales, Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland who spent the night there. We brought in about 50,000 supporters.

S.A.: You're also facing legal charges....

Nelson: I'm up on several contempt charges for violating a Federal Court order. I told the people at the Nelson Mandela rally at the Los Angeles Coliseum that I had to explain to my 11-year-old girl that there's nothing wrong with somebody going to jail for what they believe in.

I wanted to educate her as well as everybody in this country who needs educating. I tried to tell her that if I go to jail, I'm in good company because people like Martin Luther King went to jail for what they believed in. Nelson Mandela and Gandhi went to jail-and I even told the people that Jesus of Nazareth went to jail for what he believed in. They got the point.

S.A.: What can our readers do to help?

Nelson: Defense funds and family-support donations can be sent to: Fair Deal for Pittston Workers, c/o UMWA Southeast Regional Office, 4500 MacCorkle Ave. SE, Charleston, WV 25304.