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The UMWA: Its Presidents in Historical Perspective -- Part IV - Page 2

© Mara Lou Hawse

Trumka's idol was John L. Lewis. When he was growing up, he believed that "John L. ranked somewhere near Moses in historical significance, that the union was as awesome and holy as the Catholic church." He recalls that, like Mitchell's portrait, John L. Lewis's portrait hung on the wall in miners' homes, alongside those of the saints. And in his first campaign, Trumka promised "a return to past glories, a restoration of the pride and militancy that characterized John L.'s reign."

Certainly Trumka made his mark. Soon after his election he was described by one coal analyst as "the classiest president the union has had since Lewis." He remained in office longer than any president except John L. Lewis, resigning on December 22, 1995, to become secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.

Trumka was succeeded by Cecil E. Roberts, Jr., the current president. Roberts, a sixth-generation coal miner, is known as "one of the labor movement's most stirring orators." He grew up on Cabin Creek in Kanawha County, West Virginia. According to the UMWA history, "his great-uncle, Bill Blizzard, was a legendary organizer during the West Virginia mine wars of the 1920's and a UMWA district president under John L. Lewis." Both of Roberts's grandfathers were killed in the mines.

After serving out the remainder of Trumka's term, Roberts was elected by acclamation to a new, five-year term in August 1997. That election marked the first time in UMWA history that the entire leadership slate ran unopposed.

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