Black Lung Coordinator

About Appalachian Voices

Appalachian Voices is a nonprofit advocacy organization that brings people together to protect the land, air and water of Central and Southern Appalachia and advance a just transition to aclean energy economy. We currently have over 45 staff members across the region, with offices located in Boone, NC;
Charlottesville, VA;
Norton, V A;
Knoxville, TN; and Charleston, WV.

Appalachian Voices is an equal opportunity employer. AV is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and to creating a welcoming and inclusive environmentforall employees. We understand people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal,educational and volunteer experiences.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. AV’s hiring and employment decisions are based solely on a person’s merit and qualifications.

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Appalachian Voices is seeking a Black Lung Coordinator as part of our Coal Impacts team. The objectives of the Coal Impacts team are to address the environmental and public health impacts of coal mining in the Appalachian states of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, to build grassroots power in these areas, and to work in solidarity with movements for environmental justice, conservation and community resiliency throughout Appalachia and beyond.

In close collaboration with community partners, our team works to build grassroots power with individuals who are impacted by black lung. We leverage this power to win grassroots campaigns that reduce the rate of black lung in our region, and that ensure that workers affected by the disease are compensated by the coal industry and the government through medical care and disability benefits.

Our work together with our partners has been successful in achieving a permanent extension of the Black Lung Excise Tax – a crucial source of funding for the federal black lung benefits program. However, monthly black lung disability benefits remain insufficient and difficult to access, funding for miners’ health and safety programs remains insufficient, and regulations protecting mine workers from exposure to silica dust are ineffective and in need of reform.

On the state level in Virginia, miners with black lung cannot apply for black lung workers’ compensation if their disease does not become disabling within five years of leaving work in the mines. Black lung continues to develop even after a worker leaves the mines and often takes more than five years to become disabling, thus making the miner ineligible for workers’ compensation.

This position will foster the connection between community members and our work, ensuring that partners and individuals who are directly impacted by black lung disease inform our strategies and priorities. With a focus on developing and mobilizing grassroots leaders and supporters who are impacted by the disease, the Black Lung Coordinator will advance campaigns to extend or eliminate the five-year statute of limitations affecting Virginia black lung workers’ compensation claims, and to increase the amount of monthly black lung disability benefits paid to miners and their dependents.

Depending on capacity and need, the Black Lung Coordinator may also contribute to campaigns to defend federal funding for miner health and safety programs; advocate for strong workplace health and safety regulations, including regarding silica dust; and promote legislation to streamline the black lung claims process for miners and their families.

An understanding of community organizing in rural settings, ability to navigate relevant government processes, policy…