Cecil Roberts (unionist)
Encyclopedia
Cecil Roberts is a miner
and president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). He is also a vice president of the AFL-CIO
, and sits on the AFL-CIO's executive council.
.
After serving in the United States military
and doing a tour of duty in the Vietnam War
, Roberts went to work as a miner in 1971. He became active in Miners for Democracy, the reform movement in the United Mine Workers which sprung up around miner Arnold Miller
. In 1977, he was elected vice president of District 17.
In 1982, Roberts was elected vice president of UMWA. His running mate was Richard Trumka
, who became the union's president.
Roberts graduated from the West Virginia Institute of Technology
with a bachelor's degree
in 1987.
In 1989, Roberts was the on-site leader and strategist and chief negotiator in UMWA's 10-month strike against Pittston Coal.
, Roberts assumed the presidency in his stead.
In 1996, Roberts successfully won agreement from coal mine operators to re-open UMWA's national coal agreement. It was the first time the contract had been re-opened in the union's history, and Roberts won substantial wage increases.
In 1997, Roberts was elected president of UMWA in his own right to a new five-year term. For the first time in UMWA history, the entire leadership team slate ran unopposed.
In 1998, Roberts negotiated a new national coal agreement.
In 2000, Roberts won re-election a second time. Although his term was not due to expire, delegates to UMWA's March 2000 convention approved a resolution to move the election up so balloting would not coincide with negotiations for a new bituminous coal contract. Again, Roberts and his slate ran unopposed.
In 2001, Roberts bargained a new, five-year national coal agreement. The new agreement included significant pension increases and "30-and-out" language that allowed miners with 30 years of service to retire with full benefits at any age.
In September 2003, Roberts called an International Special Convention to restructure UMWA. Delegates approved proposals to eliminate all international vice president positions, and combine the international executive board member, district president and district secretary-treasurer positions into one office called international vice president. Delegates also approved moving the 2005 presidential election up to 2004.
In 2004, Roberts was re-elected a third time as president of UMWA.
In December 2005, Roberts negotiated a new national coal agreement which contained the highest pay raises since 1974. Health benefits were maintained, and coal companies will increase contributions to the UMWA Pension Fund by more than $500 million.
In 2008, Roberts received the Eugene V. Debs
Foundation Award.
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). He is also a vice president of the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, and sits on the AFL-CIO's executive council.
Early life
Roberts was born on Halloween in 1946. He grew up along Cabin Creek in Kanawha County, West VirginiaKanawha County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
.
After serving in the United States military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and doing a tour of duty in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Roberts went to work as a miner in 1971. He became active in Miners for Democracy, the reform movement in the United Mine Workers which sprung up around miner Arnold Miller
Arnold Miller
Arnold Miller was a miner and labor activist who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America , AFL-CIO, from 1972 to 1979.-Early life and mining career:...
. In 1977, he was elected vice president of District 17.
In 1982, Roberts was elected vice president of UMWA. His running mate was Richard Trumka
Richard Trumka
Richard Louis Trumka is an organized labor leader in the United States. He was elected President of the AFL-CIO on September 16, 2009, at the labor federation's convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, from 1995 to 2009, and prior to that was...
, who became the union's president.
Roberts graduated from the West Virginia Institute of Technology
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a four-year college located in Montgomery, West Virginia, United States. It is the largest regional campus of West Virginia University and is separately accredited from the main campus of WVU in Morgantown...
with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1987.
In 1989, Roberts was the on-site leader and strategist and chief negotiator in UMWA's 10-month strike against Pittston Coal.
Presidency of UMWA
When Trumka resigned the presidency of UMWA on December 22, 1995, after being elected secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIOAFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, Roberts assumed the presidency in his stead.
In 1996, Roberts successfully won agreement from coal mine operators to re-open UMWA's national coal agreement. It was the first time the contract had been re-opened in the union's history, and Roberts won substantial wage increases.
In 1997, Roberts was elected president of UMWA in his own right to a new five-year term. For the first time in UMWA history, the entire leadership team slate ran unopposed.
In 1998, Roberts negotiated a new national coal agreement.
In 2000, Roberts won re-election a second time. Although his term was not due to expire, delegates to UMWA's March 2000 convention approved a resolution to move the election up so balloting would not coincide with negotiations for a new bituminous coal contract. Again, Roberts and his slate ran unopposed.
In 2001, Roberts bargained a new, five-year national coal agreement. The new agreement included significant pension increases and "30-and-out" language that allowed miners with 30 years of service to retire with full benefits at any age.
In September 2003, Roberts called an International Special Convention to restructure UMWA. Delegates approved proposals to eliminate all international vice president positions, and combine the international executive board member, district president and district secretary-treasurer positions into one office called international vice president. Delegates also approved moving the 2005 presidential election up to 2004.
In 2004, Roberts was re-elected a third time as president of UMWA.
In December 2005, Roberts negotiated a new national coal agreement which contained the highest pay raises since 1974. Health benefits were maintained, and coal companies will increase contributions to the UMWA Pension Fund by more than $500 million.
In 2008, Roberts received the Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene Victor Debs was an American union leader, one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Workers of the World , and several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States...
Foundation Award.