January - February - United Mine Workers of America

DISTRICTS
in action
District 2
Long-time District 2 activist James
“Toby” Fleegle recently died tragically
in a house fire. A Korean War
veteran, the lifetime resident of
the Central City, Pa., area worked
for the Reitz Coal Co. He was a
prominent member of Miners for
Democracy, an international organizer
under President Arnold Miller
and a long-serving president of L.U.
6410. At his burial, Helen, his wife
of 49 years, said, “He was born a
union man, and died a union man.”
L.U. 6410
officers at
a District 2
convention.
Front row:
Nicholas Bruno,
International
President
Arnold Miller,
John Pribish.
Back row: John
“Bimba” Severn,
Adolph Bonus,
James “Toby”
Fleegle.
District 12
L.U. 7110 recently
had a plaque
made to display
at union meetings,
which are
held the first
Tuesday of every
month. The
local union was chartered
in 1935. Over the years, it has
absorbed through merger Locals 7315
(1956), 1337 (1997), 7455 (1999) and
6756 (2001). George Lidwell, age 95,
is the union’s oldest member, holding
a union card for more than 75 years.
Former L.U.
1393 Financial
Secretary, Gene
Fox passed away
Dec. 12. Gene
was a UMWA
member for 53
years and worked
at Consolidation Coal’s Coffeen
Mine in Hillsboro, Ill. He was also
Local 1393’s Financial Secretary
for over 16 years. He was an active
union member throughout retirement
and never missed a UMWA
meeting or convention.
Region III secretary Janet Filkins
retired in December 2008. A retirement
party was held in her honor in
Harrisburg, Ill.
District 17
For 13 years, Subdistrict 28 and its
Freedom Fighters, a women’s
auxiliary that lent crucial support
during the Pittston strike, have held
L.U. 1259 President James Woody
hands a $1,000 donation check to
Shirley Hall, Chairperson of the
Freedom Fighters and spouse of
pensioner James Hall.
an annual fish fry in Castlewood,
Va., financed by donations from
local unions and a raffle. For the
most recent event on Sept. 20, 2008,
L.U. 1259 was a tremendous
supporter, donating $2,000 directly
to the Freedom Fighters. The
Freedom Fighters and Subdistrict 28
officials are very appreciative of the
support of L.U. 1259 and of all the
locals who so generously gave so
that this traditional event could be
held once again.
District 22
During September, October and early
November, COMPAC representatives
from Locals 1332 (McKinley
Mine), 1620 (Black Mesa Mine), 1629
(Gallup City workers), 1924 (Kayenta
Mine), 2005 (Navajo Nation Head
Start) and 3106 (Dicaperl) participated
in the Labor 2008 campaign.
Several members leafleted at the
entrances to the mines and power
plants on and around the Navajo Nation,
participated in phone-banking,
made house calls, attended labor rallies
in Albuquerque and Phoenix and
assisted at various voting locations.
20 January/February 2009 • United Mine Workers Journal