This article is based upon the recent history of the Durham Miners Association (DMA), a constituent part of the National Union of Mineworkers. Following that closure of the last remaining colliery in 1993, the DMA went into a period of decline, but in recent years has undergone a significant resurgence in membership and a growing determination within the communities to maintain the culture and traditions associated with the industry and the union in Durham. This is a phenomenon that stands in contradiction with the situation in other postindustrial communities around the UK. The article will outline the reasons for that resurgence, and in doing so will suggest that the experiences of the DMA, and the mining communities that were once it’s heartland, have much to offer those interested in the concept of community unionism.
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