From the pulpit to the picket line: For many miners, religion and labor rights have long been connected in coal country
- Written by Richard J. Callahan, Jr., Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Gonzaga University

In October 2025, Cecil Roberts will officially retire from his role as president of the United Mine Workers of America. A sixth-generation coal miner, he has led the union for 30 years. Only one man held the role longer: John L. Lewis, whom many consider one of...