Thomas K. | Red Phoenix correspondent | Ohio–

The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) came under attack recently by the Trump administration by means of funding cuts, with one specifically targeted a program that provided screening for black lung, a disease caused by long term inhalation of coal dust, to about 40% of coal miners. These drastic cuts have the potential to dramatically increase the number of hoops coal miners would have to jump through to be able to exercise rights gained through the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. This is nothing less than a direct attack on the working people, and miners in West Virginia are fighting back.

In April of this year the federal Department of Government Efficiency, in another round of ‘critical thinking’ and ‘strategic planning,’ targeted the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program. This is significant in multiple ways. Firstly, to cut off funding that directly supported the health and safety of the working people can be seen as nothing but hostile to the working class as a whole.

Secondly, a formal diagnosis of black lung is required for all coal miners who want to receive what is owed to them through the Black Lung Benefits Act, which was created after the United Mine Workers fought with Congress to have a federal mandate that pays out benefits to coal miners on a weekly basis, and also covers all medical bills related to black lung. Before its passage, many coal miners diagnosed with black lung were later medically retired due to the severity of the disease. In the worst cases of black lung the patient’s lungs become so severely inflamed and filled with coal dust their lungs calcify inside of them, at which point the only treatment is a lung transplant. In many cases, coal miners are stuck fighting bureaucracy for what they are owed, and die before receiving the critical care they deserve.

Report after report have come out over the last few years of coal miners or their families fighting tooth and nail everyday to receive what they are owed for their hard work and sacrifice, but to no avail, due to “lack of funding created by a lack of coal companies in this modern time” — a despicable lie told to real people who are fighting for their lives. The truth is that the benefit has been pilfered and plundered since its conception. Coal taxes placed on businesses, which largely funded the benefit, were inadequate from the beginning. It was also deemed “unconstitutional” to levy taxes on coal that was exported out of the country. 

Coal Miners from West Virginia, tired of the constant struggle for benefits and against attacks on crucial funding and regulation, took to the courts and filed lawsuits against DHHS in order to have the program reinstated. Once again it is the workers themselves leading the charge to create necessary changes. These budget cuts may have been put in place by the Trump administration but we saw no legitimate attempts from opposition in Washington trying to stop this from happening. Instead what we saw were cheap circus acts designed to distract and divide. 

This attack on working class families and communities by Trump’s administration is disgusting. Thankfully working class people stood up and defended themselves against this attack quickly realizing that only the people can save the people. By pressuring state representatives, and filing a class action lawsuit against DHHS the workers and their families were able to get the program reinstated. We can celebrate success for Coal miners and their families, but we must acknowledge the fight is not over. A band-aid on a bullet hole may stop some bleeding but bleeding will continue until we achieve success through revolution. 

Categories: Health Care, Labor, U.S. News