WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today met with workers and retirees of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union, as well as UMWA President Cecil Roberts, in his office. During their meeting, Brown reaffirmed his commitment to solving the pension crisis that is currently facing miners and threatening the retirement benefits they have earned over a lifetime of hard work.

“What Washington doesn’t understand is that Ohio coal miners gave up raises at the negotiating table because they were counting on these pensions when they retired. It’s up to us to ensure that these workers and their families receive the full benefits they earned over a lifetime of backbreaking work,” said Brown. “I am grateful to the Ohio workers, retirees and businesses whose tireless efforts have brought us this far, and I am committed to continuing to fight until Congress passes the pension solution Ohioans deserve.”

Brown has led the fight to find a bipartisan solution to the overall pension crisis that faces 60,000 Ohioans, thousands of whom are retired mineworkers, as well as thousands of small businesses across the country.

Last week, Brown voted to confirm Gordon Hartogensis to serve as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), because he believes Republicans and Democrats must come together and work toward a bipartisan solution.

Brown joined a bipartisan group of senators, including Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), last year on the House and Senate Joint Select Committee on Pensions, where they made meaningful progress towards a bipartisan agreement. Following the expiration of the Joint Select Committee, both Senators have continued working together to find a solution to the pension crisis.

 

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