Striking UMWA Miners Prep For 'Biggest Rally Yet' In Brookwood

BROOKWOOD, AL — The labor strike at Brookwood-based Warrior Met Coal is set to enter its fifth month in August, with no immediate signs of a compromise at the negotiating table. In its latest public display of opposition to the west Alabama coal producer, United Mine Workers of America will host its "biggest rally yet" on Wednesday.

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The rally will take place at the Brookwood Ballpark at 15689 Highway 216 on Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. UMWA International President Cecil Roberts will be the keynote speaker, along with a musical performance by Tom Breiding.

The strike was initially prompted by the union's desire for a new collective bargaining agreement between UMWA and Warrior Met. In April, more than a thousand UMWA members walked off the job at Warrior Met, before a vote on a new agreement ultimately failed to garner the necessary votes in local union halls.

At times, the protracted strike has become violent and destructive, even going as far as Warrior Met Coal offering a $10,000 reward for more information on damage caused on three separate occasions in May and June.

As Patch previously reported, the UMWA strike notice covers more than 1,100 workers at all of the company's operations, including the #4 mine, the #5 preparation plant, the #7 mine and its Central Shop. The union has also filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board relating to Warrior Met's conduct during negotiations.

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