September 8, 2026 - The United Mine Workers of America has long been closely tied to West Virginia’s coalfields, but union leaders said the organization is working to grow as the industry changes.

UMWA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Phillippi said the union represents about half as many active coal miners as it did 10 or 20 years ago, pointing to climate-related concerns and policies he said have not favored the coal industry. 

“In enforcing what we already have, we’re not going to take any losses on how we fought to get, but to grow unions,” Phillippi said. “The country was the best when there was the highest percentage of unionism, and we need to get back to that point.”

As coal employment has declined, the UMWA has looked beyond mines to organize workers in other fields.

That includes staff at the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, where employees unionized with the UMWA this year. Executive Director McKenzie New Walker said the museum has been proud to work with the union from the beginning.

Walker said preserving and expanding the labor movement requires introducing younger workers to unions before they enter the workforce.

“I think we have to organize. I think we have to invite people into the movement,” Walker said. “A lot of people in the state, it’s interesting, most folks graduate and go into the workforce and they do that without really knowing what a union is.”

As the UMWA continues its 88-year tradition in Racine, leaders said the union is focused on protecting its coalfield roots while building membership among a changing workforce.