"Follow The Money" - Striking Coal Miners Rally Outside BlackRock's NYC Offices
Hundreds of coal miners from Alabama and West Virginia who are embroiled in a labor dispute with their employer gathered outside BlackRock's headquarters in NYC on Wednesday to gave Larry Fink a piece of their mind.
About 120 supporters descended on BlackRock's midtown offices carrying signs that read "we are one" and chanting together. They spoke out against their treatment by their employer, Warrior Met Coal. Union members are striking for better wages and benefits. During the rally, they were joined by other union workers, including truckers and garbagemen.
BlackRock is listed as Warrior Met's biggest shareholder as of March 31. More than 1,000 miners represented by the United Mine Workers of America have been on strike for almost five months as they battle management for a new collective-bargaining agreement. Now, they're arguing that BlackRock has benefited from their exploitation, so it should step in to help.
Footage of the rally went viral on twitter:
.@SusanSarandon speaks in front of HUNDREDS of striking Alabama #UMWA coal miners protesting outside @blackrock NYC demanding better wages/working conditions.
Blackrock biggest shareholder of workers’ parent company. We’re LIVE exclusively on @TheRokfin https://t.co/QAUNcG47eu pic.twitter.com/npet5eaCwS
— Jordan (@JordanChariton) July 28, 2021
Even some Wall Street strategists suspect the workers might have some success.
Walking over there now to explain how index funds work. Wish me luck. https://t.co/g2NPHq0noF
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 28, 2021
Obv kidding. FWIW, they want BlackRock to make management give the workers more money. Worthy protest IMO that asks for BLK to use voting power vs say an ESG gp or UK newspaper upset that index funds own Exxon or other 'bad' companies. pic.twitter.com/hQ8iwayN6l
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 28, 2021
They came to NYC to "follow the money," their union president said in a statement.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/follow-money-striking-coal-miners-rally-outside-blackrocks-nyc-offices