Shelley then called Gonzalo Salazar, a leader of the Co-Op strike and organizer of the Food Committee, to the front of the room to present him with a check for $1,000 from UMWA Local 1759. Deer Creek is an underground coal mine. The UMWA local there is one of the largest in the western coalfields.

Shelley came along with three other members of the local. The delegation included Tain Curtis, head of the local’s safety committee, and Michael Durran and Ernesto Ibañez. Ibañez is also a member of the San Rafael Catholic Church. Along with retired miner Ernesto López and Rosario Cano León, Ibañez has helped organize the church to back the strike. The church has paid rent and utilities for strikers in need for three months.

The Deer Creek miners said that there has been an outpouring of support for the Co-Op strikers in their local. The union bulletin board at work, they said, has a display on the Co-Op strike and a big donation jar sitting in front of it. The miners collected the $1,000 through donations from members. They also gathered toys and other presents for the children of seven families of strikers, which they brought in huge bags.

Retired miners from UMWA Local 9959 from East Carbon and Sunnyside, Utah, members of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical, and Energy Workers union from an oil refinery, and representatives of the AFL-CIO in Salt Lake City, also contributed bags of presents for the kids. Ann Fivecoat, who is married to a retired miner, knitted beautiful hats and slippers for the children of four families. The retired miners also brought gifts, as well as bags full of candy, taffy, and oranges that had been donated by the Miners Trading Post in East Carbon.

The children were called to the front of the room and given armfuls of gifts and then went over to sit on the lap of Santa Claus. One of the Co-Op strikers was dressed in full Santa Claus gear and was a big hit with the kids.

There was also lots of food. Several of the spouses of the strikers cooked tamales, beans, and salad for everyone to enjoy. Two huge sheet cakes were donated by UMWA District 22 for dessert. The cakes had inscriptions on them. “United Mine Workers of America,” said one, and “Los Mineros de Co-Op Navidad” (Co-Op Miners’ Christmas), said the other.

Please receive warm greetings of solidarity from the fighting Co-Op miners on this December 13th, 2003. Thanks to the support and assistance we have received from president Cecil Roberts and the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), of which we are fighting to be members of, and thanks to the support we have received from other organizations, today we celebrate 86 days of struggle for our dignity and our honor, for our right to have the same rights as every miner and worker across the country.

We are happy to establish contact with fighters such as you, who have now been on strike for nine and a half months, and we hope to be able to talk and exchange experiences with you soon.

Brother Keith Griep praised our struggle by saying it belongs to all workers across the country. With this message we want you to see us as brothers in struggle as well. We want Tyson to know that your fight is now our fight, and starting today we will help to get the truth out about your strike. We celebrate your nine and a half months of resistance. You are an inspiration that reaffirms our decision to fight for justice.

An injury to one is an injury to all!
What time is it? It is union time!

Jesús Salazar
for the fighting Co-Op miners
leadership committee
 
 
Related articles:
Co-Op strikers force gov’t to investigate mine safety  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home