Pittston Coal strike

The strike, which lasted from April 5, 1989 to February 20, 1990, resulted from Pittston's termination of health care benefits for approximately 1,500 retirees, widows, and disabled miners.

The company cited declining coal prices, decreasing demand, and recession as its reason for limiting health care benefits.

Mine workers and their families engaged in acts of civil disobedience, work stoppage, protests, and rallies.

The participation of women in the labor action through the ad hoc formation of the Daughters of Mother Jones—reminiscent of the early days of union organization—proved an essential element of the successful strike.

To avoid losing more money, Pittston doubled health deductibles, lowered the coverage from 100% to 80%, and discontinued benefits to miners who retired before 1974.

[3] Miners were now working longer hours with more expensive health care plans, and the mine was losing no production time because it was never closed.

The coal company stayed quiet, and when the time came to renew the health care and retirement benefit plans for its workers, Pittston refused.

[5] In April 1989, after the miners had worked 14 months without benefits, UMWA President Richard Trumka declared a strike against the Pittston Coal Company.

To ensure that production would continue, Pittston also had help from the state police to escort the replacement miners and coal trucks across the picket line.

He knew that giving into the demands of Pittston would lead to other mine companies revoking health care benefits.

[8] On August 20, 1989 Trumka was questioned by B. Drummond Ayers Jr., a local reporter from the New York Times, about how long he expected the strike to continue.

Many union members practiced that method of civil disobedience and found creative ways for their message to be heard such as mass sit down strike and road blockades.

However, many wildcat strikers ignored the request of the UMWA and used violence to express the anger that they felt toward the Pittston Coal Company.

[7] Actions included destruction of the Pittston Company's mining equipment; pelting coal trucks with rocks to break their windows; and stopping the trucks by slashing their tires usually by using Jack rocks, which were sharp tools made up of nails welded together with their points facing out designed to puncture the tires.

Additional violent acts included the making of car bombs that were placed along roadsides that coal trucks would travel.

[14] Some strikers shot into the windows of cars and houses of the replacement miners and Pittston Coal Company owners.

[17] A small shelter equipped with bunk beds was built and an already-existing snack bar was opened to provide food for the people staying at Camp Solidarity.

[17] As a result of the protests, more than $30 million in fines were levied against the UMWA by Russell County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. McGlothlin Jr.

Stump, who was cellmates with UMWA Vice President Cecil Roberts during the strike, went on to win the November election by more than two to one.

[clarification needed] Two groups of women supporters arose during that time: "The Daughters of Mother Jones" and "The Freedom Fighters."

[22] The Daughters of Mother Jones also conducted a regular protest outside of the Pittston Coal State Headquarters in Lebanon, Virginia,[6] coordinated with UMWA leadership.

[23]: 24–25  They picketed outside every Monday and Wednesday outside of the Pittston company headquarters[22] to gain media attention and support for the miners.

They ran Camp Solidarity at Castlewood, Virginia, and the Daughters of Mother Jones provided food and lodging[22] on land donated by a retired UMWA miner.

[25] After Pittson, the Freedom Fighters continue to exist as a group of women who help to support the benefits for miners across the United States.

[12] Both groups had lost a considerable amount of money, Pittston from the slowdown of production and the UMWA for the cost of organizing the strike.

[17] Miners of the Pittston Coal Company were glad that a settlement had been reached and that they would once again be receiving health and retirement funds.

Another direct result of the Pittston Strike was the formation of the Coal Act, which was established in 1992 and made it mandatory by law for mining companies to provide health and retirement benefits for its workers.

The union's actions during the strike made it possible for thousands of miners to receive health care and retirement funds for years to come.