Labor and regional advocates commemorate a pivotal milestone in coal union history.
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The Significance of the Battle of Blair Mountain, 100 Years Later
TAGS: Battle of Blair Mountain Coal labor unions strike UMWA United Mine Workers of America West Virginia West Virginia Mine Wars Museum
Stepping into the Mine Wars
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, W.Va., chronicles the struggle to unionize the state’s coal mines. Photographs and artifacts introduce visitors to the people and events from that time.
Turn This Town Around
A project to help re-energize small towns is encouraging community-led projects, like the brand-new West Virginia Mine Wars Museum!
TAGS: Battle of Blair Mountain Community development Matewan organized labor small towns West Virginia
Order Will Protect Portion of Historic Blair Mountain Battlefield
By Brian Sewell A section of historic Blair Mountain is off-limits to mountaintop removal coal mining until at least 2018 when the permit comes up for renewal. An order issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection prohibits Aracoma…
Touring Coal Country’s Past
By Molly Moore In 1978, student Doug Estepp was poking around in the West Virginia University library when he came across a newspaper headline describing the 1920 Matewan shootout — a violent episode in the dispute between coal companies and…
In Bankruptcy, Patriot Coal Creates its Legacy | Sacrificing a Historic Landmark to Coal
In Bankruptcy, Patriot Coal Creates its Legacy By Brian Sewell Concerns over how Patriot Coal will meet its commitments to generations of retirees have rippled throughout Appalachia. When the St. Louis-based spin-off of Peabody Coal filed for bankruptcy in July,…
TAGS: bankruptcy Battle of Blair Mountain blair mountain coal employment Hobet Mine Complex National Register of Historic Places organized labor Patriot Coal Peabody Coal pensions Radical Action for Mountain People's Survival United Mine Workers of America
Mercury Proposal Receives Support, Opposition
This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would reduce mercury, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions from coal plants. According to the agency, the proposed rule would save an estimated 17,000 American lives a year beginning…
TAGS: Battle of Blair Mountain carbon capture Clean Water Act Coal Report EPA Massey Energy mercury and air toxic standards Tennessee Valley Authority TRAIN Act TVA West Virginia
