UMWA President Speaks at Virden Miners’ Memorial Ceremony

MT. OLIVE - At noon on October 12, 2025, in Union Miners’ Cemetery on the edge of Mt. Olive, IL, there will be a day of recognition for the miners who died following a gunbattle on October 12, 1898, in Virden, IL, after mine guards shot them after they were locked out of the mine when the Chicago/Virden Coal Company refused to accept a contract adopted by other area mines.

Many in the Mt. Olive area thought the miners were criminals and didn’t want them buried with decent folks. Their bodies were discovered alongside a roadway. After their graves were desecrated, the United Mine Workers of America bought an acre of land and began their own cemetery.

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The event will feature re-enactors, labor music, a short parade, wreath laying, and speakers, including Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Mother Jones. This cemetery is the only union-owned one in the USA, and the legendary Irish firebrand, Mother Jones, is buried there with the martyrs she called “her boys”. Since the cemetery was created for union people, UMWA President Cecil Roberts said that not only did she wish to be buried with her boys, she didn’t want to be buried near any “scabs”, which is a derogatory term for a strike-breaker.

The event is free and open to the public. Complimentary snacks and refreshments will be available. The UMC Perpetual Care Committee is the sponsor.

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