The union went on strike to protest the company's decision to stop health care benefits for 1,500 retired and disabled miners.

Mr. Matthis followed that with an announcement that his company had stopped providing health benefits to retired workers, disabled miners and miners' widows.

Mr. Stafford along with a group of disabled miners lobbied congress.

He worked tirelessly and efficiently on behalf of the miners, dealing with such matters as compensation cases and the rights of the disabled miners.

These people were not just miners employed by Pittston, but also families, widows, and disabled miners in the Virginia area.

On 31 January 1988 Douglas cut off retirement and health care funds to about 1500 retired miners, widows of miners, and disabled miners.

The DSM provided workshops which employed disabled miners.

The building was opened to disabled miners in 1927.

Elderly and disabled former miners unable to work in the coal industry anymore were the most vulnerable.

One of the miners who worked that morning in the tunnel was Keith Prescott, the disabled miner who now lives in Utah.