advertisement

Perry County coal miners to St. Louis to protest Peabody

Ten people were arrested last week at a protest outside of Peabody Energy headquarters in St. Louis, the second time in two weeks that the United Mine Workers of America organized a huge protest to draw attention to the possible loss of pension and health care benefits for about 20,000 retired miners and dependents.

Over 100 miners and family members from the Perry County area attended.

About 1,000 people from several states participated in the latest protest over bankrupt Patriot Coal, the company Peabody spun off in November 2007. Many at the protest believe Patriot was set up to fail so that benefits of workers could be stripped away.

"We will not be silent," UMWA Secretary Treasurer Dan Kane said. "We are going to tell the public exactly what they're doing. We want the entire country to know."

After an hour-long rally, Kane and nine other protesters sat in the street in front of Peabody as about 100 police officers stood by. The protest was peaceful, and so were the arrests. Officers placed nylon restraints on the wrists of those in the street, who were led to a van while the other protesters watched, at times singing and chanting.