CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Saturday will mark the 5th annual observance of Miner’s Day in the United States.
Congress passed the resolution, authored by the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), in 2009 to make December 6th a day officially observed to recognize the contributions of miners to the nation.
“When you look at the products produced as a result of the mining they do, you quickly come to realize the great importance miners are to our country,” said Joe Main, Assistant U.S. Labor Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.
“If it wasn’t for miners taking the raw materials from the earth and the conversion of those into products, our everyday lives would be much different.”
West Virginia is among 16 states where coal is mined, but residents in all 50 states enjoy a better quality of life because of the coal pulled from the ground of those 16 states.
Modern day miners who work on the surface and deep underground with advanced and sophisticated technology to those who risked life and limb with a pick and shovel are being recognized for their contributions to the nation.
“Folks who’ve grown up with miner in their families know and appreciate the work they do,” said Main. “I don’t think most folks realize how much America benefits by their work.”
Main is a native of southwestern Pennsylvania and comes from a coal mining family.