In Alabama, where hundreds of striking miners are set to return to work Thursday at the Warrior Met Coal company after nearly two years on the picket line. The president of the United Mine Workers of America sent a letter to Warrior Met granting an unconditional offer to return to work on March 2nd as the two parties continue to negotiate a new contract.
Kim Kelly: But, yes, after 23 months, the coal miners of Brookwood, Alabama, are heading back to work. Now, March 2nd is the return-to-work date that President Cecil Roberts gave. It’s going to be a long process, though. The company — I acquired a document from the company that expressed some of the conditions that it had for the workers to return. It wants them to get physicals and drug tests and undergo safety training. So it’s not going to all happen at once. Not everyone is going to roll down into the mines tomorrow. But the process has begun.
And this is in kind of a messy end to what’s been a very long and grueling and difficult labor conflict down here in — outside Birmingham, Alabama. These miners went on strike back on April 1st, 2021. They voted down a tentative agreement that was reached a few days later. I believe that was April 8th or 9th. And they’ve been out on strike ever since. It has been a slog. But these miners have held the line. You know, they’ve been supported by their families, by the local community. It’s been incredibly
— source democracynow.org | Mar 01, 2023