SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The United Mine Workers of America has a new president, the first in three decades. Brian Sanson was sworn in late last month, and he takes office at a crucial time for the coal industry and its workers. The Trump administration has promised to boost mining and roll back regulations. Brian Sanson, the new president of the United Mine Workers joins us in our studios. Thanks so much for being with us.
BRIAN SANSON: Thank you for inviting me.
SIMON: What are your priorities as you take office?
SANSON: I have several, but I think I have an obligation to continue to fight for the benefits of those who came before me. Our retirees built this union. But we also have a very difficult task of protecting our active workers' jobs. The industry is always pushing back, trying to reduce health and safety standards. It's just the nature of coal operators.
You know, as we sit here today, we have fuel switching that is going on in the country, and that's really from coal to natural gas. You have arguments that one's cleaner than the other. Power grid uncertainty is something that we are continuing to try to battle to make sure that our coal-fired generation plants that provide this baseload power are able to remain open. We have tariffs and trade issues. Probably one of the biggest challenges that's faced us over the last couple of decades - and this is through Republican and Democratic administration - is the failure to adequately fund clean coal technology.
SIMON: Trump administration has promised to try to revive the coal industry. But earlier this year, many programs that protect miner safety and health were cut. How do you feel about both of those efforts?
SANSON: We were very critical of the administration's position on that. Under the Biden administration, there was a silica rule put in place, and silica has been found to really create an enhanced form of black lung. We are seeing more and more younger miners develop this disease, especially in central Appalachia. The cuts that were made to the Mine Health and Safety Administration has just been devastating because miners are now continuing to do the same work. There's concerns that MSHA has not been filling inspector jobs and inspecting our coal mines the way they need to be. You had people that left through early retirements, buyouts, everything that went on with the federal workforce. Those jobs weren't filled.
SIMON: But the administration also says they wanted to increase mining.
SANSON: We welcome anything that they do that actually can do that. But again, with executive orders that can be eliminated by the next person who takes office, you're not going to have these major utilities put billions of dollars into their coal-fired fleets based upon an executive order. The only real way to do it is to put it into legislation, and for whatever reason, the folks in power have been unwilling to do that.
SIMON: I'm told your union now has roughly 80,000 members. At one point, United Mine Workers had more than half a million members. 2020 coal production dropped to a low not seen since 1965. Are the United Mine Workers just less vital than they used to be?
SANSON: We are not as big as we used to be. That's for sure. But we are still very effective, and we continue to stay involved in politics. You know, for every coal miner out there, they've got a son, a daughter, a granddaughter. So your membership isn't necessarily measured in those kind of terms, and the amount of members that our extended family covers is much greater than that.
SIMON: I have to ask, would you want your son to go into the coal fields?
SANSON: That's a tough question because it is difficult to look at a young person and say you can work here until you retire. Companies are filing for bankruptcy constantly in this industry. So any promises that you see are really kind of hollow. But, you know, this is where we find ourselves, unfortunately.
SIMON: The new president of United Mine Workers of America, Brian Sanson. Mr. President, thanks so much for being with us.
SANSON: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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