Cecil Edward Roberts, Jr., a sixth-generation coal miner and one of the labor movement’s most stirring and sought-after orators, became President of the United Mine Workers (UMWA) of America on October 22, 1995, having served as Vice President of the union since December 1982. A decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Roberts is passionate about Veterans Affairs. He serves as the Chairman of the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO. Roberts graduated from West Virginia Technical College in 1987 and received an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from the West Virginia University of Technology in 1997. In 2019, after a decade-long fight, secured the healthcare and pensions of over 92,000 retired miners by fighting for the passing of the Miners Protection Act and the Miners Pension Protection Act.