Brookwood, Alabama – Almost one year into their historic strike, Haeden and Braxton Wright, two leaders in the Alabama coal miners' labor struggle, spoke out on their fight for fairness during a virtual fundraiser.

On April 1, 2021, around 1,100 Warrior Met coal mining workers went on strike, but the problems they are facing trace back to 2015, when the company, formerly known as Walter Energy, filed for bankruptcy.

The following year, private equity firms scooped it up.

Workers accepted $6-hour wage cuts, worse insurance plans, and less time off – all with the promise that when the company became profitable again, they would see an improvement in their conditions.

Since the takeover, Warrior Met has raked in millions of dollars, but workers' wages and labor conditions have not changed. The company has even instituted a cruel four-strike policy for absences, late arrivals, and early departures.

That's why workers overwhelmingly rejected Warrior Met's latest contract offer by 95%. When negotiations failed, they struck.

"They're just asking for their fair share back and to get back to where they was in 2016. They're not even asking for extra," explained Larry Spencer, vice president of United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) District 20.

328 days later, workers are still standing strong, but they are asking for support from the wider community to help them through the difficult time.

"These men and women are wearing down – not to say they're giving up. But they're just getting tired and trying to do the best to make sure that they get a contract that they deserve," Spencer said.

"We need everybody to stay strong and just support us through this and help us get through this strike," he continued. "Hopefully it'll end soon. If not, we'll be here till it does."

Workers and their families are working around the clock to help each other stay afloat.

Haeden Wright, president of the UMWA Auxiliary Locals 2368/2245, said her group is primarily focused on meeting the needs of the striking workers' families.

Because of long working hours with only three holidays per year, workers suddenly had very little time with their loved ones: "As a family, you had memories that you were creating and pictures that you were taking, and there was a member of your family gone."

"Your family, you're working to support them, but it was a family you never got to see," she added.

Not only do the workers themselves suffer from that arrangement, but it is also unfair to partners and children.

"Children deserve to be able to have time with both parents. As workers, we deserve to be able to have a work-life balance," she said. "We shouldn't be slaving every day and producing millions of dollars for these companies and private equity groups that are taking it all back to New York as we're struggling to get by every day."

Haeden and others are trying to ensure not only that workers at picket lines and rallies are fed, but also that the children receive the care and attention they need. They threw a back-to-school bash for students, distributed backpacks and school supplies, and hosted a holiday event with a Solidarity Santa, which helped provide Christmas gifts to more than 300 children – all possible thanks to generous donations from people around the country.

"It's giving these families and these workers and these children these images that they'll never forget because we made sure that they knew that these gifts and these things came from fellow workers, that people that don't know you, that have never met you, that have never been to Alabama, cared enough about your fight that they sent this to you."

Haeden's own children, 7-year-old Averi and 1-year-old Everly, are learning from an early age the true meaning of solidarity. Averi calls the children of fellow UMWA working families "strike cousins." Meanwhile, Everly's "entire life has basically been on strike."

"That's what a union is. Your union becomes your family. We had that before, but the strike has really amplified that."

Workers and their families have been touched by the support they have received from everyday people across the US, but unfortunately, they can't say the same for the officials actually elected to represent them.

What the Wrights and others want to see is an end to right-to-work laws, the passage of the PRO Act, and other key protections.

Instead, what they have gotten is politician after politician in Alabama standing up for large corporations over the everyday people.

"You've heard [Republican Governor] Kay Ivey say multiple times she's brought multiple jobs to the state. You've yet to hear her say she's brought a career to the state. There's plenty of low-wage, poverty jobs that they're bringing in. They're not bringing in a career that you can retire from, that you can raise a family from," said Braxton Wright, a UMWA coal miner.

Not only that, but state lawmakers have actually introduced measures to further curb the rights of workers seeking to organize. The very same day as the fundraising call, the Alabama legislature approved HB 2, referred to as the "Anti Aggravated Riot Act." The bill, introduced in the aftermath of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, would allow any police officer who sees a group of five or more people to arrest them on felony charges – just on the basis of thinking they might damage property.

"This is an attack not just on minorities, because that's what a lot of these people will use it for, but it's an attack on workers in general," Haeden explained. "It puts that fear that if you stand up and you fight for what's right, that someone could say that you were a threat and your life could be over."

At the federal level, things don't look much better. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has reportedly met with Warrior Met and its shareholders in other states – without making any attempt to hear workers' side of the story.

He spoke in defense of Warrior Met during a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday, held by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, without acknowledging the pain his own constituents are facing.

"Do you know he refused to make eye contact with any of us? He never came up, spoke, asked us questions, tried to hear our side at all," Haeden recalled.

"It wasn't until after he gave his propaganda speech from the company – that I would like to point out was literally taken from their FAQs page that they had a PR company put out – that he tried to walk up and shake Braxton's hand."

If politicians think workers don't see where their loyalties truly lie, they have another thing coming.

"It's kind of shocking to see that some of our Republicans in the state have shown zero interest, and I think it's opened some people's eyes," Braxton said. "We may need to do some more research into who we vote into different places."

In the meantime, Haeden said UMWA workers and families aren't backing down: "Here in Alabama, I want people to realize that the labor struggle's alive. We have our strike. We have Amazon, which is going up for reelection for their union vote. We have them passing these bills, and we have activists fighting against this that are fighting for the people."

"I think a lot of times people try to give up on the South – and I know this because of media, the way the media portrays things – but we are fighting back. We are here. We are aware of what's going on," she said.

"Hopefully, this will open the eyes for the working class," Braxton added. "It's time for the working class to take control."