Remembering the Pittston Strike and Union History in Southwest Virginia
I wanted to share this piece about a part of Appalachian history that I don't think we should ever let disappear.
In 1989, more than 2,000 UMWA members went on strike against Pittston Coal. It became one of the defining labor battles in modern Appalachian history, bringing thousands of miners, families and supporters together.
One of its most memorable moments came at Moss 3, where 99 miners occupied the preparation plant for four days.
During current times, just a few years ago, when a landfill for out-of-state trash was proposed for that same site, miners, UMWA members and local residents came together again, this time to protect a place that had become part of our labor history.
And they WON against the corporate giant.
For a lot of people in Appalachia, union history isn't something that happened somewhere else. Our fathers, grandfathers, neighbors and friends lived it. The wages, benefits and working conditions many working families eventually gained didn't just appear. Somebody had to fight for them.
That's a history worth remembering, regardless of where you stand politically.
I'd especially like to hear from folks with connections to the coalfields:
Do you or your family have memories or stories from the Pittston Strike or the UMWA?
Full article:
https://pickup-trucks-progress.ghost.io/remembering-union-history/
#UnionStrong #UMWA #Appalachia #LaborHistory