Bituminous Coal Operators Association
Bituminous Coal Operators Association (BCOA) is a
History
 |
BCOA was formed in 1950 as a group to negotiate with the
Legacy of the Health and Retirement Agreement
In 1946, under President John L. Lewis, the union created The Welfare and Retirement Fund, a multi-employer benefit plan. This was an entirely new method for benefits and pensions because it introduced health care for the union workers and their families.
In May 1946, the National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement established a health, welfare, and retirement fund backed up by a five-cents-per-ton levy on all coal produced by bituminous coal companies.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, there were various updates to the agreement with the goal to completely satisfy miners enough to end random wildcat strikes throughout coal mines across the country. By 1974, the coal industry led the country for the rate of work stoppages in a year, ten times the rate in other industries.
On December 6, 1974, a new National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement resulted in the development of four separate trust funds, replacing the single Welfare and Retirement Funds. The 1950 Benefit Pension Trust was created for workers retiring before 1976; the 1974 Pension Trust, for workers retiring after 1975; the 1950 Benefit Trust, provides medical and death benefits for workers retiring after 1975 and their dependents; and the 1974 Benefit Trust, providing medical and death benefits for workers retiring after 1975 and their dependents. These four funds operate collectively under the title Health and Retirement Funds.
Changes to the agreements in 1974 resulted in $5.57 billion worth of unfunded liabilities.[4]
Timeline of lobbying activity
| year | spent on lobbying | paid to others |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $28,000 | $30,000 to Forscey PLLC |
| 2014 | $208,728 | $120,000 to Forscey and Stinson, $10,000 to Tauzin Consultants |
| 2013 | $722,288 | $200,000 Forscey and Stinson, $200,000 Arent Fox LLP, $40,000 Tauzin Consultants |
| 2012 | $516,053 | $200,000 Forscey and Stinson, $20,000 Arent Fox LLP , $35,000 Tauzin Consultants
|
| 2011 | $376,683 | |
| 2010 | $394,083 | |
| 2009 | $431,411 | |
| 2008 | $486,738 | |
| 2007 | $160,000 | |
| 2006 | $220,000 |
[5] The majority of this has been work on specific acts like the Safety acts, which deals with health benefits to miners, and other smaller health acts or protection bills like the Federal mine and health and safety act of 1977 which was created by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) who deal with the BCOA on many accounts. The BCOA also works on an average of one land restoration act a year like the Crow Tribe Land Restoration Act which was passed in 2009.[6]
References
- ^ "Bituminous Coal Operators Association, Inc". www.manta.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Bituminous Coal Operators' Association Inc: Company Profile". Bloomberg. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "UMWA Members Ratify New Contract for Murray Mines | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer". www.theintelligencer.net. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- ^ "UMWA Pension Plan Promised $5.6 Billion More than It Can Pay (Infographic)". The Heritage Foundation. 2016.
- ^ "Lobbying Spending Database-Bituminous Coal Operators Assn, 2009 - OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ Max, Baucus (16 January 2009). "S.280 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): Crow Tribe Land Restoration Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
United Mine Workers of America, Health and Retirement Funds records, 1940-1993 1827 Archived 2017-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
The miners’ strike of 1977–78 | International Socialist Review
External links
- Almasy, Steve (14 August 2011). "Removing mountaintops yields coal, controversy". CNN.
- contacts can be found at Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
Bibliography
- United Mine Workers of America Members Ratify New Five-Year Agreement with The Bituminous Coal Operators Association. PR Newswire Association LLC, 2001.
- United mine workers of America. The New proposed contract between United Mine Workers of America and the Bituminous Coal Operators' Association. Place of publication not identified], 1978.
- Putney, B. (1935). Stabilization of the bituminous coal industry. Editorial research reports 1935 (Vol. II). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1935072400
- "The Bituminous Coal Problem." Editorial Research Reports 1925, vol. III, CQ Press, 1925, p. 491. CQ Researcher, 20 Feb. 2018, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1925081500.
- “Union Mine Workers Vote to Approve New Contract with Murray Energy.” Charleston Gazette-Mail, 21 Nov. 2017, www.wvgazettemail.com/news/union-mine-workers-vote-to-approve-new-contract-with-murray/article_1f799654-97ea-5b22-85ea-e2fc241e68dc.html.
- “UMWA-BCOA Ratify New Agreement.” CA-Black-Transp, 6 July 2011, www.coalage.com/news/latest/1146-umwa-bcoa-ratify-new-agreement.html#.WqraHejwa00.