Union Official Charged with Bombing Warrior Met Coal Pipeline During Alabama Strike

A union official from West Virginia has been charged with bombing a section of a gas pipeline owned by Warrior Met Coal. The incident took place during a strike by workers in Alabama.

Jerry Gale Kerns, 52, was charged with destroying property used in interstate commerce by using fire or explosives. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, along with officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The explosion happened on March 23, 2022, while workers from the United Mine Workers of America were on strike against Warrior Met Coal. The strike ended on February 16, 2023, when the union decided to return to work without any conditions.

At the time of the explosion, Kerns was a director in the union. Prosecutors say he was responsible for bombing a part of a methane gas pipeline owned by Warrior Met Coal near Brookwood, Alabama.

If convicted, Kerns could face between five and 20 years in federal prison.