To date, no cure exists for black lung, an irreversible disease that can progress long after hard-working coal miners have retired. Medical advances continue, but can it keep up with a concerning resurgence of this deadly illness once thought to be almost eliminated...
Year: 2021
What to know about the Black Lung Benefits Act
Coal miners suffering from black lung disease have options when it comes to federal workers’ compensation benefits. To date, the disease lacks a cure. However, medical treatments exist to prolong the lives of those suffering from these severe illnesses. Advancements...
SSDI’s perpetual backlog
Since seemingly its inception, Social Security Disability Insurance has had a long backlog that has only grown larger over the decades. Those past-due applications have resulted in equally lengthy wait times for applicants, many unable to work and in desperate need of...
Coal miners and COVID-19
As COVID-19 began to spread across the United States last year, one of the first strategies was to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable. The elderly, particularly those in nursing homes, became top priorities for protection, as were those suffering from severe...
Join us at the Festival to Celebrate the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial 1921 – 2021
The Commemoration of a Century! Join Us Labor Day Weekend. Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Kick-Off Event, Friday, September 3 at 4pm in Charleston, WV at the Culture Center, Capital Complex For more details and up-to-date information:...
A Tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain 1921 – 2021
By L.M. Sutter They were 13,000 strong that August of 1921, marching to Bloody Mingo, singing the songs of the union. Tired of chafing under the cruelties of the coal companies they marched. They marched because of Matewan and the memory of Sid Hatfield barely cold in...
A much-needed win for SSDI applicants
Those applying for Social Security Disability Insurance may have an easier path to secure the benefits they need due to a disabling injury. While already a complex process, the Social Security Administration’s approach to filing involved a lengthier, more difficult,...
Coal workers continue to face dangers
In spite of nationwide efforts to increase safety while reducing the inhalation of coal dust, black lung, formally known as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, has made a resurgence in the past several years. Even the powerful Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s...
Confusion continues in commitment to keep coal miners safe
The breathing in of silica dust – also referred to as quartz – has resulted in countless diagnoses of black lung. For those coalminers in Central Appalachia who have plied their trade 25 years or more, twenty percent of them suffer from the deadly disease. Dust is not...
Taking action on behalf of black lung victims
Black lung disease is on the rise in Central Appalachia. Hard-working miners who, over years or decades, inhaled coal dust are now suffering from the consequences of their efforts. Far too many are diagnosed with black lung disease. Surviving family members already...