St. Louis, MO — A large contingent of the United Mine Workers Union and other unions rallied Tuesday in St. Louis in what is one of the most spirited rallies since starting their fight against Patriot, Peabody, and Arch Coal Company.
“I didn’t tell you this struggle would be easy,” said UMWA President Cecil Roberts to the crowd gathered outside Peabody Energy Headquarters in St. Louis. “But I’ll tell you this, it will be worth it.”
A union leader estimated the crowd at close to 2,000 people. Roberts paced the stage with a wireless microphone and whipped the crowd into a frenzy with claims Peabody, Arch, and Patriot Coal lied when they made promises of cradle to grave healthcare for employees. The union claims those promised benefits are now in jeopardy as part of Patriot Coal’s bankruptcy proceeding.
“One of the problems in this struggle is the people who make the decisions hide behind a thousand dollar an hour lawyer and a thousand dollar an hour mouthpiece,” Roberts railed. “They don’t have the courage to sit on the other side of the table and speak to us eye to eye like a man.”
Roberts told the large group more and more unions are joining in their fight over the benefits and the struggle has outgrown the mine workers.
“This is no longer a UMWA fight. This is a working people’s fight,” he said.
Roberts led the crowd on a march to the federal courthouse where he and a handful of pre-selected protesters, including Roberts, sat down in the middle of the street and were soon arrested when St. Louis Police asked them to move and they refused. The crowd sang Amazing Grace as the police put them in handcuffs.
It’s the second time Roberts and some of the demonstrators were arresteed.
“I don’t know what they do to you for getting arrested twice, but we’ll find out today,” Roberts said ahead of his run in with the law. “Then we’ll find out what it’s like to be arrested three times, four times and five times, until Peabody, Arch, and Patriot understand we will come back and come back and come back until we win.”
The UMWA plans an event larger march and protest in Charleston April 1.