The Republican Party Supports the Coal Industry

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Braxton: The Republicans that just a few years ago said they had the miners backs are incredulous. He says Democrats should show their support for these workers and start to make up ground after losing the coal mining labor unions to Trump. And what's even more striking is how Democrats reacted to a union effort going on just 30 miles away in Bessemer at an Amazon warehouse, he adds. Braxton: I am welcome today to have a delegation from Congress who are standing with these workers.

For more than 500 days, coal miners in rural Alabama have been on strike. Around 900 workers walked off the job in April 2021, and they haven’t been back since.

As the strike drags on, the miners are discovering that neither political party is willing to fight for them.

For Braxton Wright, 39, a second-generation coal miner and, until recently, a Republican, the experience has altered his view of American politics.

Guest: Michael Corkery, a business reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading:

To make ends meet, some striking coal miners in Alabama have picked up work at an Amazon warehouse. It’s the same one where workers have tried to unionize.

For more information on today’s episode, visit

nytimes.com/thedaily

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