Alabama troopers escort workers past striking coal miners 'like they're working for the company,'

Alabama troopers escort workers past striking coal miners ‘like they’re working for the company,’ union says


Members of the United Mine Workers of America are calling attention to the use of the Highway Patrol Division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency along the picket line at Warrior Met Coal in Tuscaloosa County.

More than 1,000 members of the union have been on strike against Warrior Met Coal since April 1, picketing for higher pay and benefits.

Union members say the use of troopers to escort workers past the picket line “just looks like they’re working for the company,” UMWA spokesman Phil Smith said. “There haven’t been any reason to be concerned about the buses going back and forth. It just looks like the company doesn’t need to hire its own security guards.”

ALEA spokeswoman Robyn Bryan said Warrior Met Coal approached ALEA when the strike began “relative to safety concerns for both their employees and citizens within the area.”

Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2021/09/alabama-troopers-escort-workers-past-striking-coal-miners-like-theyre-working-for-the-company-union-says.html