McMurray man featured at miners’ rally
Tom Breiding never worked in a coal mine. None of his relatives ever entered mines either. Yet, Breiding of Peters Township has a passion for the plight of the coal miner, a passion he conveys through music.
Breiding’s background is as an educator and, in a sense, through his songs, he is teaching that changes are happening for the union workers and retirees, particularly when it comes to health care coverage.
He recently released “Fairness at Patriot.” The CD includes original songs written and performed by Breiding. His son, Jack, is highlighted on drums for the featured piece “River Rails or Road.” The song has become the theme song for the fight for health care for union workers through Patriot Coal.
When he met a United Mine Workers of America official at a rally, Breiding became involved in the movement.
The fight began when officials from Peabody and Arch coal companies formed the corporation Patriot Coal in 2007, an action, Breiding said, that occurred behind the boardroom doors. At that time, Patriot Coal encompassed 22,000 union miners, of which 18,000 were retirees.
In 2011, Breiding said Patriot Coal went bankrupt and eliminated health care and pensions. He called the bankruptcy “a scheme to shed responsibility.”
Even through Breiding and none of his family were miners, the native of Wheeling saw the effect of coal while growing up. Many of his friends and their families were involved in the mining business.
Raising awareness of the coal miners’ plight now plays a huge part in his life. In fact, he flew to St. Louis late Sept. 23 to perform in a rally the following day. St. Louis is the headquarters of Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in sustainable mining and clean coal solutions, according to the company’s website.
St. Louis is also the site of Breiding’s most frequent rallies. Generally, he said, more than 3,000 coal miners and retirees attend.
He has also performed in Henderson, Ky., and Fairmont, W.Va., where, he said, a lot of coal miners from Green County attended. In Charleston, W.Va., Breiding estimated more than 10,000 attended the rally.
While he splits his time between writing and performing music, Breiding also works as the immersion trip coordinator at Wheeling Jesuit University. He hosts mainly college students from across the country on trips in Appalachia. The students learn about health care and energy issues and also perform home repairs and other chores for those in need.
Breiding calls the program a great way to educate students about the good and the bad issues in the area.
A graduate of West Liberty University, Breiding taught school for 18 years, some of the time at St. Thomas More School in Bethel Park. He is self-taught on the guitar, his instrument of choice during rallies and recordings.
For the past 18 years, he has been affiliated with Wheeling Jesuit University and smiles when he said he has “split careers.”
One reason he became involved in the coal miners’ situation was the song for which he is most well know, “The Unbroken Circle,” which outlines the history of labor in the coal mines. It covers about 75 years. Through that song, he met officials from the UMWA and his second career began.
Locally, he will appear in a Fairness at Patriot rally at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Moondog’s, 378 Freeport Road, in Blawnox. The free concert will feature Breiding, who refers to himself as a musician with a cause; Mike Stout and the Human Union, a musician activist; and the Bill Toms Band, a 20-year veteran of local bands. The concert is not being used to raise money, but rather to raise the awareness of the coal miner.
Coal Miners’ Concert
Featuring: Tom Breiding of McMurray
What: Fairness at Patriot Rally
When: Oct. 4
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Moondog’s in Blawnox
Address: 378 Freeport Road
Admission: Free