August 25, 2026 - The Illinois Labor History Society will honor generations of Illinois coal miners this weekend with a free Union Hall of Honor ceremony in West Frankfort.

Illinois AFL?CIO President Tim Drea, a former United Mine Workers member, will deliver the keynote. This year’s inductees are John E. Jones, a Welsh immigrant who became a pioneering mine?safety inspector credited with advancing rock?dusting techniques during World War I, and Benny “Chucky” Wilson, a longtime miner and active U-M-W-A retiree.

The program will also feature a short theatrical presentation based on miners’ oral histories collected by the Illinois Coal Workers & Communities Listening Project, performed by local students.

The Southern Illinois Central Labor Council will award three scholarships through a drawing open to college students and apprentices who attend.

The event is free and open to the public, with retired and active miners especially encouraged to participate.

It is set for this Saturday, August 29 at 1 p.m. at West Frankfort High School.