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safety concerns. That summer, four mine workers had been killed in a landslide, so workplace safety was an issue. They were also dissatisfied with the food served at the company cafeteria, where the workers ate almost all their meals. For example, workers would allegedly find rocks in the rice. Union members also say that staff at the cafeteria were armed and they felt this was unnecessary and unsafe. Union leaders
Valmore Locarno and Victor Orcasita began to receive death threats. They asked Drummond for housing at the mine, so they wouldn't have to commute through areas controlled by paramilitaries. According to the testimony of former president of Drummond Augusto Jimenez, Drummond denied their housing request and Colombia's intelligence agency (
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lines.” Drummond's chief of security at the time, former CIA agent Jim Adkins, also believed there was a connection. In an interview with VICE World News in
January 2021, Adkins said he still believes the attacks were connected to the tensions in negotiations between the union and the company. “The negotiations would break down and all of a sudden we would get a train blown up,” said Adkins, who believes that the guerrilla groups were enforcing the interests of the union, but declined to provide any proof. However, witnesses claim to have been present in a meeting where a list of names of trade union leaders was produced to be given to a paramilitary commander.
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402:, or DAS by its Spanish initials) determined that the threat against them was of “medium to low risk” and did not grant the union leaders any security. About a month later, paramilitaries stopped a company bus carrying union leaders Valmore Locarno and Victor Orcasita and other workers from the La Loma mine at the end of a shift on March 12, 2001. Locarno was shot in the head and Orcasita was tortured and killed. A third union leader, Gustavo Soler, replaced Locarno and was found dead in October.
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president Jose Miguel
Linares, are accused of financing the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), which was the country's largest and deadliest paramilitary group in the decades long civil war in Colombia, during which paramilitaries and the government clashed with leftwing guerrillas. U.S. courts have repeatedly ruled against the families of the Colombian victims.
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Drummond has been accused of contracting paramilitaries since 2001 to murder union leaders who oppose company mining policies. In 2000, the local branch of
Sintramienergetica, the union that represents hundreds of Drummond workers, held several meetings with executives about contract negotiations and
287:
In
October 2018, David Roberson, previously the company's vice-president of government affairs, was sentenced to "two-and-a-half years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release", and fined $ 25,000 for his July 2018 convictions, alongside those of attorney Joel Iverson Gilbert (formerly,
405:
Drummond strongly denies the allegations. A crew supervisor told an
Alabama court in that 2007 case that managers at Drummond's mine, including Locarno's supervisor “said the union and the guerrillas were pretty much one and the same and also that they were responsible for the sabotage of the rail
409:
In
December 2020, the office of Colombia's attorney general charged two executives from the American coal company Drummond Company Inc. with financing and promoting the paramilitary group that killed these union leaders. The executives, former president of Drummond Augusto Jimenez and current
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served as vice chairman until his death in 2012. During 1979–1980, these
Drummond brothers, along with company executive Clyde Black, were indicted for bribing three Alabama legislators, by means of supplying them with prostitutes. The three-month lawsuit was dismissed by
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213:, an Alabama coal miner. Drummond started mining on land he inherited from his family; he used mules to drag coal out of the mines. When Drummond died in 1956, the company remained family-owned.
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In 2015, the
Drummond Company sued attorneys Terrence P. Collingsworth and William R. Scherer, the advocacy group International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates), and Dutch businessman
292:'s Environmental and Natural Resources section), on "six criminal charges each relating to a scheme intended to stop expansion of a toxic cleanup site in Jefferson County by the
333:. Production from Pribbenow, comprising almost 50% of all coal mined in Colombia, is exported to 11 countries. The company is "Colombia’s second-biggest thermal coal producer."
243:
gunmen near
Drummond mines. The lawsuit accused Drummond of "supporting paramilitary fighters at its facilities, thereby making Drummond liable for the deaths." It was known as
357:, it is "the largest single producer of foundry coke in the U.S.." Starting 2015, Drummond funneled money though its law firm Balch & Bingham to a retired state legislator
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The company manages "four luxury planned communities in Alabama, Florida and California." In 1985, they developed their first community: Oakbridge in
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728:"Former Drummond V.P. and Balch lawyer sentenced to federal prison", AL.com, Advance Local Media LLC., October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
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by the company a month earlier. Based on this evidence the Colombian government temporarily suspended some operations of the company in
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The company owns Perry Supply, a subsidiary founded in 1913, which sells "mining, foundry, construction, and industrial supplies."
304:, The Oliver Robinson Foundation. Roberson maintained that he "trusted Joel" and "never thought we were bribing Oliver Robinson."
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Colombian Killings Land U.S. Company In American Court: Mining Concern Faces Suit Over Right-Wing Attacks; New Life for a 1789 Act
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By 2009, a U.S. federal court ruled in favor of the company, concluding that it had never supported any action of illegal groups.
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In February 2013, journalist Alejandro Arias reported with photographic evidence dumping of hundreds of tons of coal into the
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As of December 2013, the company employed a workforce of 6,600, with annual sales of US$ 3 billion. It was inducted into the
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to murder labor union leaders within proximity of their Colombian coal mines, which Drummond denies.
768:"Lawmaker under investigation after taking money, fighting Superfund cleanup of toxic neighborhoods"
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site due to pollution caused by ABC. In 2017 Robinson pled guilty to various corruption charges.
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828:"3 Union Leaders Were Shot Dead and Colombia Says an American Company Financed their Killers"
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for coal transportation owned and operated by Drummond Company, located between the city of
361:. In exchange for over $ 100,000, Robinson encouraged residents not to cooperate with the
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The company also owns Alabama By-Products Corporation, also known as ABC Coke, located in
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Corte Federal de EE.UU falla a favor de Drummond dos demandas de sindicatos colombianos
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In 1970, the company signed a contract to sell coal to Japanese steel companies.
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Drummond Coal Company Cedrum Mine, Crushing Facility, Townley, Walker County, AL
891:"CASE STUDY: Paramilitary violence allegedly contracted by Drummond in Colombia"
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Alabama Coal Baron Uncovers Evidence Of Witness Payments In Attack On Lawyer
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Alabama By-Products Company, Coke Plant, Tarrant City, Jefferson County, AL
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Drummond Coal Company Cedrum Mine, 8750 Pit, Townley, Walker County, AL
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Drummond sues those claiming coal company involved in Colombian deaths
296:", through a bribe to former basketball player, then state legislator
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where the incident occurred. Drummond was also fined US$ 3.6 million.
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385:, as well as Rancho La Quinta and Andalusia at Coral Mountain in
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State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame: DRUMMOND COMPANY INC.
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858:"Colombia: Drummond possibly involved in union leaders' deaths"
928:", 3 photos, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page
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In 2003, the company was sued by widows and orphans of three
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Colombia’s Top Coal Mine Reaches Accord That May End Strike
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Drummond operates the Pribbenow and El Descanso mines near
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Alabama Billionaire Battles Murder Suits as Prices Ebb
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793:"Drummond coal goes on trial over Colombia killings"
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468:America's Largest Private Companies: #162 Drummond
278:Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
381:. Over the years, they developed Liberty Park in
393:Alleged involvement with murder of union leaders
973:Historic American Engineering Record in Alabama
365:efforts to list areas of north Birmingham as a
280:by alleging that Drummond had worked alongside
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677:El periodista que puso en jaque a la Drummond
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611:The Index-Journal (Greenwood, South Carolina)
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300:(who was also convicted), through use of his
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935:", 9 photos, 1 photo caption page
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487:'The Drummonds: Close-Knit, Self-Made Men'
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978:Privately held companies based in Alabama
570:"Jurors questioned in racketeering trial"
239:labor union leaders who were murdered by
693:Colombia Fines Drummond for Dumping Coal
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864:. Associated Press. October 30, 2018
958:Coal companies of the United States
531:Anthony Effinger, Matthew Bristow,
245:Estate of Rodriquez v. Drummond Co.
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363:Environmental Protection Agency's
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766:Whitemore, Kyle (May 12, 2017).
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263:Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame
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607:"Probe of Coal Crime Continues"
489:, Lakeland Ledger, May 12, 1985
294:Environmental Protection Agency
282:Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia
755:Drummond Company: Perry Supply
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225:Elbert Allen "Larry" Drummond
645:Pui-Wing Tam, Marc Lifsher,
205:The company was founded in
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613:. July 9, 1980. p. 17
156:http://www.drummondco.com/
968:Drummond family (Alabama)
576:. May 8, 1980. p. 25
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938:HAER No. AL-44-B, "
931:HAER No. AL-44-A, "
697:The Wall Street Journal
651:The Wall Street Journal
383:Vestavia Hills, Alabama
272:, one of the owners of
101:Chief Executive Officer
924:HAER No. AL-19, "
921:(HAER) documentation:
502:Forbes: Garry Drummond
302:nonprofit organization
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164:Drummond Company, Inc.
30:Drummond Company, Inc.
513:E.A. "LARRY" DRUMMOND
387:La Quinta, California
329:. Both mines produce
308:Assets and operations
270:Albert van Bilderbeek
211:Heman Edward Drummond
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74:Heman Edward Drummond
288:a partner active in
230:Judge Frank McFadden
714:The Birmingham News
699:, December 19, 2013
517:The Birmingham News
420:Birmingham District
290:Balch & Bingham
168:Birmingham, Alabama
143:Number of employees
97:Richard Lynn Mullen
84:Birmingham, Alabama
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743:Bloomberg Business
537:Bloomberg Business
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737:Matthew Bristow,
681:Semana (Colombia)
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379:Lakeland, Florida
221:Garry N. Drummond
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133:$ 5.00 billion
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898:. Retrieved
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835:. Retrieved
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774:December 31,
772:. Retrieved
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147:5,100 (2016)
80:Headquarters
44:Company type
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373:Real estate
256:Santa Marta
209:in 1935 by
187:Santa Marta
119:Real Estate
115:By-Products
56:Coal Mining
952:Categories
426:References
313:Coal mines
274:Llanos Oil
92:Key people
900:April 13,
868:April 13,
837:April 13,
803:April 13,
367:Superfund
237:Colombian
219:In 1973,
770:. AL.Com
617:July 15,
580:July 15,
414:See also
327:Colombia
199:Colombia
107:Products
52:Industry
797:Reuters
321:in the
319:La Loma
193:by the
191:Cienaga
174:History
152:Website
125:Revenue
70:Founder
62:Founded
47:Private
557:Forbes
472:Forbes
355:Forbes
137:(2016)
117:, and
902:2022
870:2022
839:2022
805:2022
776:2017
619:2015
582:2015
111:Coal
65:1935
197:in
135:USD
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20:)
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