Recent Press Releases

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — A representative of the Century Aluminum retirees who spent Monday picketing outside of the Jackson County facility said those retirees were at the plant’s Ravenswood entrance with a message.

“We are still out here uninsured and Century still has not stepped up to the plate and we, certainly, have not given up,” said Karen Gorrell.

One of the biggest business news stories to unfold last year was Century Aluminum’s attempt to set up a special rate plan to restart its Ravenswood plant. The PSC denied that plan last October, issuing its own, which the company said would not allow it to restart.  The saga involved a lot of drama early on last year, when the company finally brokered an agreement to restore some health care benefits to its retirees.  However, that plan was contingent upon the company restarting the plant.

Fast forward to this year, and the company has purchased another (newer) plant in Kentucky and barely mentioned the Ravenswood site on its most recent quarterly earnings conference call.

Frontier Communications and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union have ratified the labor agreement the two parties reached on Aug. 3 representing local employees in West Virginia.

Set to expire in August 2017, the new agreement covers nearly 1,500 West Virginia employees who work in 42 West Virginia counties and serve more than 500,000 residential and business customers. This includes a mix of customer service technicians, network support technicians, construction technicians, call center representatives and many other employees who support service delivery in the state.

Patriot Coal Corp. has a bankruptcy judge’s go-ahead to enter into a new labor agreement with the nation’s biggest miners’ union, ending a long, acrimonious dispute.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kathy Surratt-States on Tuesday granted St. Louis-based Patriot’s request to put in place the collective bargaining deal ratified Friday by the United Mine Workers of America.

The United Mine Workers of America announced Monday that it has reached a settlement with bankrupt Patriot Coal on new terms and conditions of employment. A statement from the union said the settlement "makes significant improvements over what federal Bankruptcy Judge Kathy Surratt-States ordered on May 29, and what Patriot implemented on July 1."

"After several weeks of nearly around-the-clock negotiations, I believe we have reached something that can be taken to the membership for ratification," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said in the statement.

CHARLESTON, W.VA – Faith leaders and elected officials joined thousands of active and retired union members, families and concerned citizens today, marching to the offices of Patriot Coal in downtown Charleston, West Virginia.  Sixteen labor leaders, clergy and UMWA members were arrested during a non-violent protest in front of Patriot headquarters at Laidley Tower on Lee Street in Charleston.

Today’s march and rally, sponsored by the United Mine Workers of American (UMWA), supports the union’s  Fairness at Patriot campaign to save health care for retired mine workers and secure decent wages, health care, and working conditions for active miners.