
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 26, 1993                   TAG: 9308260108
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: FAIRMONT, W.VA.                                LENGTH: Short

UMW PICKETS, POLICE END STANDOFF AT MINE

About 300 striking United Mine Workers demonstrated Wednesday at a Shinnston repair shop and an Eastern Associated Coal Corp. mine near Fairmont in a bid to halt a mine equipment transfer.

The standoff between state police and union pickets, which began at Repair King Inc. and later moved to the mine, ended peacefully about 6:30 p.m. when UMW Local 1949 President Dutch Morris called off the miners.

One miner was charged with obstructing traffic after refusing police orders and pickets' requests to get out of the road leading into the company's Tygart River mine.

The company was trying to move mine shields, which are used to protect miners from roof falls, from Repair King to the mine, Eastern Associated spokesman Mike Herron said.

"If they should happen to get these shields in that mine, they can set that long wall up and operate two years without us, just using their own personnel," said Morris. - Associated Press

by CNB