Coal Miners Union In Full Revolt After Supporting Obama In 2008

Well way back in 2008, the United Mine Workers threw their full support behind Obama.

But Obama was also making disturbing statements that strongly suggested that the coal industry would be driven into bankruptcy because of some "new energy" agenda he was buying in to.

So even with that, the Mine Workers said "vote for Obama" anyway.

Now we see a different attitude.

I always find it fascinating how voters in general groups support candidates and policies that eventually go the wrong way into failure.

Strange psychosis perhaps?

Similar to the high crime and high poverty areas always voting Democrat and the high crime and poverty seem to always be getting worse.

During the 2008 campaign, UMWA had originally thrown its weight behind former North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards during the primaries. But after he dropped out of the race, the coal miners union heartily endorsed Obama — even though he had lost primaries in the coal-heavy states of Kentucky and West Virginia to Hillary Clinton.

“Senator Obama shares the values of UMWA members and our families,” union president Roberts said in 2008. “He understands and will fight for the needs our members have today and the hopes our members have for a secure future for themselves and their families.”

According to the Associated Press, UMWA was “unanimous in picking Obama for its endorsement.” The union, which at the time represented 105,000 active and retired coal workers in the U.S. and Canada were one of many major unions to throw in with Obama.

Coal Miners Union In Full Revolt After Supporting Obama In 2008

(Obama).....

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he stated his energy plan would “bankrupt” coal plant owners, adding that “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,” under his cap-and-trade system.

“So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it’s just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted,” Obama told the SF Chronicle.

The sad thing is that this union donated the workers money to PAC's that funded Obama's election. These poor workers paid for a candidate that was going to work against them.

Unions should stay out of politics and focus on doing what's best or the members.

a reply to: xuenchen

I missed in your article where it talked about them being in full revolt outside of the title. And what does it have to do with anything or are you just pointing out that someone that supported him 6 years ago doesn't anymore?

Haha idiots, thats what you get for being dumb asses. I dont play the left right game I just observe it. My observatons tell me that democrats are not known for doing business. They appeal to the stupid and lazy by promising them handouts. The educated white guilters jump aboard because they think it makes them edgy or intelligent to be part of a "humanitarian" cause.

For the life of me I can't understand why coal unions would ever support the left.

The platform for the last 20 years has been to 'save' the planet'.

And a coal worker is no greater 'threat' to what they 'see'.

Saving the planet by making things more expensive here, putting millions out of work, and shipping jobs offshore.

All to buy the same things, STILL made by the same means, and delivered by the same means.

I don't get it.

Like so many others what the coal miners thought they heard from Obama wasn't the truth. They didn't bother paying attention what he actually said and did only what the script was, and now they're paying for like all the rest of us.

People act like they can't do nothing else with their lives when their jobs are deemed useless because of technological advancements. Coal burning to produce electricity is primitive, destructive and should of been left behind for other cleaner sources a long time ago.

Keeping outdated methods of working simply to save jobs is a stupid and non-optimal way of doing business and running a society.

I know it's sad for the workers and I understand the individual impact etc.
But if one day my job is to be replaced by a robot that does the job better, cleaner or if my job becomes obsolete, I won't beg for people to make me work that same job just for my sake.

Obama is right, for once, and people that still want to open a coal plant in 2014 should be aiming for something else.

Sorry for all you coal workers out there but I'm sure you are smart enough to learn a new profession and I hope this investment towards future generations will be covered by government subsidies.

a reply to: theMediator

People act like they can't do nothing else with their lives when their jobs are deemed useless because of technological advancements. Coal burning to produce electricity is primitive, destructive and should of been left behind for other cleaner sources a long time ago.

The reason coal, and fossil fuels have been around as long as they have 100+ years.

Is because THERE IS NOTHING to date that delivers the same 'bang' for the buck.

Electricity used to heat, and cool homes.

Electricity used in the manufacturing process's.

The fuel used to deliver, and build things.

NOTHING returns as much.

Hell it wasn't until people started using them en mass did the population,and technological explosion occur.

For thousands of years man was literally stuck in the 'stone' age until fossil fuels came around.

Not to mention that China is putting on a new coal fired electrical generating plant every week. So, the burning of coal is not going down, but just in countries that pass regulations to make it too expensive to do so. Nothing is changing in countries like China and Russia. It only makes the US too expensive to operate in. And with our already highest corporate tax rate in the world the corporations will also be going to countries that are less expensive to operate in. We have to have the solutions before we can get away from our current fossil fuel consumption. There are lots of things in research capable of changing the game, but someone powerful enough, such as a government, has to break the current stranglehold that big energy has on our society and the lawmakers of it. I have seen solutions only to see them quickly disappear under some bogus National Security reason. More like protecting the current Geopolitical situation and the elites sapping of the people.

Wheres the revolt, typical faux outrage from the right, flaming small minded people since forever. Funny that during the last election it came out that romney had coal miners stand behing him during is speech promising them the moon.

But yea huge revolt lol

Looks like some members missed page 1 of the entire article.....

It’s unlikely that United Mine Workers of America president Cecil Roberts thought he would be arrested protesting the energy policies of the very politician his union supported in 2008. But things have come full circle for coal miners, who now see President Obama’s climate agenda threatening their livelihoods.

Roberts and other UMWA members were arrested Thursday marching through Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, towards the federal building where the Environmental Protection Agency was holding field hearings for a new rule that could very well force more coal mines and plants to shut down.

Roberts was leading about 5,000 coal miners, their families and supporters to show the EPA that coal miners, boilermakers, electric workers and other unions did not support the Obama administration’s new regulations limiting carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.

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Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter
www.youtube.com...

a reply to: xuenchen

It looks like you dont know the difference between a protest and a revolt.

I've got one word.
SUCKERS!
I saw that one coming from a mile away.

a reply to: xuenchen

Ok ya I'll admit i missed the page numbers at the bottom, but again, what is your point other then just showing how someone backed a candidate 6 years ago and now they don't.
As a senator he told them his plan but yet they still backed him and now they are mad that he is doing what he said he was going to do?
The writing was on the wall and they ignored it. No ones fault but their own

a reply to: xuenchen

you know, we just recently moved back to where Nenothtu grew up. Coal mining country. On our way into the area there was a sign said vote for "so and so"

Nenothtu looked at me and said "we won't vote for that a-hole, he is an Obama supporter and everyone's out of work because of him. That dumb-# supported Obama and now look what happened, the coal mines shut down. No hon, we aren't voting for that jack-#. "



That's all I have to say.

Good. Stupid should be painful.

a reply to: xuenchen

This show the real world differences between progressive liberals and conservatives. Progressives tend to float on the wind and are much easier to fool. Think I am nuts just look how many conservatives dumped the Republican party after Bush. We are just starting to see the same things with the liberals. They are slower to see the real truth.

had these idiots looked; there were videos of him and his VP saying exactly what their plans were for the coal industry, power production, and coal miners. They did not hide their intent. they were proud of it. made it a campaign issue. the ones that voted for him and the unions that were involved should do the right thing and commit sepuku. they already did it figuratively when they voted for and campaigned for the source of their demise.

the east coasters who complain because energy costs are going to "necessarily skyrocket" should also commit sepuku. save the rest of us from their stupidity in the future.

originally posted by: stormbringer1701
Good. Stupid should be painful.

The STUPID...it hurts.

Of course, speaking as someone who got the full brunt of the teachers' union blitz during the Bush/Kerry election, it is hard to ignore when they are sending your cards that say things like "Vote for X because your job may depend on it!" Then they call you every night and tell you the same thing.