Stonega / Westmoreland head discusses UMWA
November 16, 2004
 
 

Legendary United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis speaks out against the Taft-Hartley Act during the 1947 American Federation of Labor convention. (Photo provided by UMWA)

The Post November 16, 2004

Most Wise Countians know something about Stonega Coke & Coal Co. and Westmoreland Coal Co. from having mined for them, living with their miners in the family or knowing their miners in the community. These two companies profoundly shaped the economy and the social framework of southwestern Wise County, especially Big Stone Gap and the Appalachia area, for more than 100 years - until Westmoreland shut down its Virginia operations in 1995. Nearly a decade later, journalist Dan Rottenberg has told the story from the perspective of the decision makers who steered these two companies through booms, busts, world wars and global growing pains. His book, "In the Kingdom of Coal," explains how coal fueled America's transformation from a land of ports and small farms into the world's industrial powerhouse. In part three of a series, former Stonega/Westmoreland head Ted Leisenring Jr., who led the companies from the late 1950s through the late 80s, discusses his personal encounters with leaders of the United Mine Workers of America.