   
Bus Tour Visits
West Virginia
UMWA Career
Center and
New River Family
Health Center
Closing Rally
Held in Portsmouth,
Ohio
The “Reinvest
in America:
Put America
Back to Work!” Appalachian
Bus Tour
headed by
Rev. Jesse
Jackson of
the Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition
and United
Mine Workers
of America
(UMWA) president
Cecil Roberts,
started its
fourth and
final day
with a rally
at the UMWA
Career Center
in Beckley,
West Virginia.
One of the
rally attendees
is a retired
miner and
Vietnam veteran
who said
he had been
laid off
every other
year toward
the end of
his career.
Over the
past 60 years
the number
of miners
has dropped
from 400,000
to 70,000
in West Virginia.
He talked
about the
struggle
to stay with
unionized
companies
in order
to keep his
healthcare
benefits
and pension.
In the face
of increased
mechanization
and the declining
value of
coal, he
said the
companies “take
away the
benefits
you really
need as you
get older.”
At a press
conference
before the
rally, Jackson
said that
the purpose
of each stop
along the
tour is “to
educate,
expose, and
motivate
people.”
“Most
Americans
have no idea
that these
people and
industries
are suffering,
he said. “If
American’s
saw 85 year-old
men hooked
up to oxygen,
negotiating
for air to
breathe,
they would
say ‘Something’s
not right.’”
Standing
behind Jackson,
Roberts and
other tour
participants
were men
and women
who have
found jobs
in other
vocations
such as medicine,
carpentry,
and information
technology
through the
UMWA Career
Center. Several
of them had
taken the
day off work
to help call
attention
to the effectiveness
of the center’s
resources.
Roberts explained
to the media
that the
center helps
train them
for “good-paying,
decent jobs
that do not
place them
at McDonald’s
or Wal-Mart.”
This final
day of the
tour captured
the essence
of the mission
as the bus
wound round
the craggy
hills of
West Virginia,
for a stop
at the UMWA
New River
Family Health
Center in
Scarbro,
W.Va. On
the way,
the bus passed
neat square
houses formerly
owned by
mining companies
and an old
company store
where as
late as the
1940’s
miners spent
company currency.
The currency
was the only
form of money
they received,
and its value
was useless
anywhere
outside of
the mining
towns.
During the
four days,
coal miners
and other
labor groups
from around
the region
joined the
tour at many
of the stops.
Cecil Roberts
estimated
that in all,
at least
2000 coal
miners had
climbed aboard
separate
buses and
vans to follow
the tour
to show their
support after
attending
various rallies.
In Beckley,
there was
a group of
at least
40 miners
who were
part of the
Pittston
strike in
1989, which
was ultimately
successful
after 4000
people were
arrested,
including
Jackson.
“These
guys don’t
forget,” said
Roberts. “They
are turning
out in big
numbers.
People want
to hear the
message.”
The New
River Family
Health Center
is a center
designated
for the treatment
of black
lung disease.
One of several
UMWA health
centers in
the county,
the clinic
is essential
for area
residents,
explained
Roberts.
“The
truth is
if this clinic
weren’t
here, some
people wouldn’t
have made
it,” said
Roberts. “They
would have
died.”
Because
of the good
pharmaceutical
benefits
the UMWA
provides,
the clinic
fills more
than 400
prescriptions
daily.
Outside
the clinic,
Jackson and
Roberts met
with a large
crowd, representing
members of
the community
and more
than a dozen
local social
organizations.
Judson Wallace,
74, said
that he had
come out
to hear real
issues addressed--and
to see Rev.
Jackson.
Wallace is
president
of the Kanowha
Community
Center that
provides
aid to people
through assistance
with utility
bills and
referrals.
“People
tend to get
caught up
in their
everyday
lives,” said
Wallace. “It’s
very important
that we dictate
the priorities
in our community
and not let
others decide
for us. We
need to focus
on jobs and
health needs.”
The final
rally of
the tour
was a large
gathering
in Portsmouth,
Ohio. While
the Carpenter
Ants band
jump-started
the rally
with music,
people began
to gather
around the
stage and
pavilion
in downtown
Tracy Park.
Augusta
Thomas is
6th District
national
fair practices
affirmative
action coordinator
with the
American
Federation
of Government
Employees
(AFGE). A
retired nurse,
she told
the Portsmouth
rally about
a mental
hospital
she is fighting
to keep open
where many
of the patients
are veterans.
“Where
will they
go?” she
asked. “How
can they
take care
of the veterans
if they keep
closing these
hospitals?”
She then
said she
didn’t
want to tell
anyone to
vote one
way or another,
but she made
a special
request of
the audience
to take their
friends to
register
to vote, “and
then you
take them
to the polls
yourself.”
Bill Lucy,
secretary-treasurer
of the American
Federation
of State,
County, and
Municipal
Employees
reminded
the crowd
about the
critical
importance
of every
vote.
“Not
only must
we all register—we
must go to
the polls
in massive
numbers to
bring about
the changes
we know will
best serve
the working
men and women
of America,” said
Lucy.
Roberts
railed against
the government’s
financial
plan that,
according
to him, throws
money at
the war in
Iraq and
neglects
the neediest
people in
the U.S.
“They’re
throwing
out a no-bid
contract
on Tuesday
to rebuild
a bridge
they blew
up on Monday,” he
said. “We
intend to
change public
policy in
this country.”
Jackson
told the
crowd that
the U.S.
has a history
of helping
people out
of trouble.
“If
we can find
the money
to rebuild
Iraq, to
rebuild Europe,
we can find
the money
to rebuild
Portsmouth,
Wheeling,
and Beckley,” he
said. “If
this is a
battleground
state, the
candidates
need to come
debate here
to end the
war on the
American
worker.”
Looking
out over
the large,
enthusiastic
crowd at
this final
stop on the
tour, Jackson
urged each
individual
to carefully
consider
the issues
this election
year and
then vote
in their
own interest.
“We
want a president
who has a
plan to end
poverty and
disease and
provide healthcare,
jobs and
a better
minimum wage.
We want a
president
with a plan
to put America
back to work.”
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