T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA The United Mine Workers of America and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown pose for a picture together after the Democrat Brown accepted the UMWA’s endorsement.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown visited Belmont County on Friday morning to accept the endorsement of the United Mine Workers of America.

The UMWA is a labor union founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1890. Although it is mostly known for representing coal miners, it also represents truck drivers, healthcare workers, public employees and manufacturing employees.

“It’s an honor to be endorsed by one of the most important in this county, with a terrific history of fighting for workers,” Brown, D-Ohio, said.

Brown is seeking reelection to a fourth term in the Nov. 5 general election. He faces a challenge from Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman.

Brown played a key role in securing health and pension benefits for UMWA members when they were recently at risk of losing them.

“I will always stand with mine workers in their fight to make sure their workers and retirees receive the benefits they have earned,” Brown said Friday.

While speaking on the importance of the endorsement, he mentioned that Sunday, April 28, is National Workers Memorial Day — an occasion to honor people who have died on the job. He also said that one of the reasons he prizes the endorsement of unions like the UMWA and United Steelworkers of America, especially in this region, is because he believes they know that he will continue to fight for the benefits they’ve earned.

“Two hundred Ohioans lost their lives at work, and hundreds more than that have exposure to black lung disease or some other chemical exposure that has caused their illness and too often death,” he said.

Chairman of Ohio Contact for United Mine Workers of America Ray Wright said, “Sherrod Brown has been a longtime friend of United Mine Workers and all working people. It is very important that he gets elected again. In the past, he’s helped ensure that we had our healthcare and pensions.”

Wright added that most everyone in attendance for the endorsement was retired. He said “it would be awful hard to make it” without the help received from Brown to ensure their benefits.

Financial Secretary of the United Mine Workers of America Local 1304 Mel Woods also briefly spoke on the importance of the endorsement.

“Today’s endorsement was very important because Senator Sherrod Brown fights for workers,” Woods said.

Brown also talked about the looming election.

“My opponent is a total down-the-line corporate guy,” Brown said. “He’s busted unions in his business, he has been cited and paid fines for misclassifying workers and not paying them overtime. He’s on the wrong side of all of these issues, and politics are all about contrast.”