Coal Miners Protest Outside Berkshire Meeting

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Dozens of Utah coal miners are picketing outside the Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting in downtown Omaha.

The protesters are members of United Mine Workers of America who work at Deer Creek mine near Huntington, Utah. The mine is run by a subsidiary of Berkshire's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.

The union's contract expired in January, and the union and company are disagreeing on health care coverage and safety checks.

A mine spokeswoman says the company is committed to a fair solution but won't comment on specific proposals.

Bernie Morris of Price, Utah, stood in the rain to hand out flyers. The 67-year-old Morris says he's worked for the coal mine for 28 years, but fears he won't be able to afford the monthly health insurance premium the company wants to charge.