Utah miners: ‘Bosses’ lawsuit won’t stop our fight for union’ BY PAT MILLER AND ANNE CARROLL, The Militant, NY
On September 24, attorneys for C.W. Mining and the so-called International Association of United Workers Union (IAUWU), which miners say is a company union, filed a federal civil suit in the U.S. District Court in Utah against the UMWA, its officers, and 17 current and former Co-Op miners. In all, 120 organizations and individuals are named in the 76-page suit, accused of “unlawful labor practices” and “defamation.”
“This company has taken advantage of the Co-Op miners for many years,” said Bob Butero, UMWA Region 4 director, in response to the lawsuit. “Now they are suing these organizations for trying to help the miners. All of us who support the workers are there because we support justice.”