The West Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal have set membership, “town-hall-type” meetings in Beckley and Morgantown for later this month. The focus is “Action Not Rhetoric,” and our goal is to bring attention to the issues surrounding the state’s coal industry as we head into the 2014 general election. At the meetings, we will discuss the current status of the coal industry in the state, the factors that are impacting the industry, the importance of the upcoming election as well as our political endorsements and why we chose these candidates. We urge those who are concerned about the future of coal mining in West Virginia to make plans to attend the meetings.
Meetings are set for Oct. 27th at Tamarack at 4:30 p.m. for the Beckley/Bluefield area and October 31st at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown at 3:00 p.m. for the Morgantown/Fairmont/Clarksburg areas. We are also attempting to schedule visits in other cities across the state between now and Election Day. Details will be provided as soon as the coordination is complete.
The next year is critical to the future of our industry. And the upcoming election will play a central role in determining the course we will take. There are a lot of people out there who claim to be ‘friends of coal,’ and we need all of them who will do what it takes to help us meet and overcome the challenges we face.