Wisconsin: Um, yeah, about those mining jobs

[Scuba]

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/03/um-yeah-about-those-mining-jobs.html

Scott Walker and the Republicans have been trying to justify their ramming through the mining bill (a bill of the mining companies, for the mining companies, by the mining companies) by stating that it will create lots of jobs.

...

But they never say who is going to get those jobs. Charlie Sykes, mouthpiece for the Teapublicans, keeps telling us since the iron ore they are after is here in Wisconsin, the jobs can't be outsourced.

Wanna make a bet? A major B.C. labour organization denounced on Monday the “mass importation” of Chinese workers to mine coal in the northeast part of the province, saying it is “preposterous” to suggest British Columbians don’t have the skills to fill close to 2,000 full-time jobs destined for foreign workers.

...

By the way, Scott Walker met with the Chinese last September in Texas and is going to China next month.

[ewagner]

1. uh-oh....n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Well, Jeez, why SHOULDN'T the Chinese mine it?

It's all going to China anyway.

Except for the steel that additional Chinese laborers will use to build pipelines to transport oil from North Dakota to the West Coast for shipping to China in the tankers the Chinese will be building out of our iron ore.

It all works, if you stop to think about it.

[Ed Suspicious]

3. If you had any doubt about who Scott Walker works for (as if) it should be pretty clear after this

one. Fucking asshole.

[midnight]

4. Two years ago critics of this mining plan explained that the mining jobs created would be

a few service jobs i.e.. waitresses, but the good paying jobs would go to the high skilled mining jobs that would be brought in by the mining company. But I must say bringing them in from China sure is fueling this Austerity destruction a bit quicker....

[mojowork_n]

5. China and "surface" or open pit mining are synonymous.

Whether it's coal or iron or some other metal, the Chinese are the experts. They're actively exporting the technology. The deeper the mine, the more difficult it is to keep the sides of the walls stable:



http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5877046&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D5877046

The Canadians are just beginning to catch up:

http://www.mining.com/web/laurentian-creates-first-research-chair-in-open-pit-mining/

Interestingly, just as we're now starting to see in Wisconsin, the Chinese mining companies operate hand in arm (and hand in pocket) with leading figures in the government:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-coal-mine-has-close-ties-to-chinese-government-steelworkers-say/article6594393/

Steve Hunt, Western Canada director for the Steelworkers, said Wednesday the union employed an investigator in China who has some knowledge of what goes on in China.

“We just searched the best we could possibly search and we couldn’t find very much detail on the company at all, other than some of the players,” he said.

“We’re trying to find out something about the mines that they have … What are they experts in? It’s hard to do because we can’t find anything about them.”

Mr. Hunt said while the mines must operate according to Canadian safety standards, the union is concerned the Chinese miners may not be familiar with their rights should the mining company operate inappropriately. Mr. Hunt said the workers are essentially “indentured” to the company. '

As a side note, coal mines in China present an environmental hazard -- not just to the earth and water, but to the air -- as a result of coal fires. The Chinese are the best at "surface" mining, but in the rush to dig up mineral wealth they have not been very successful at all in curbing 'collateral damage' to the environment, like out-of-control fires.... We have low-grade taconite up in Northern Wisconsin, not coal, but maybe it says something about the priorities, focus and practices of surface mining, as it's done in China:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166516204000102

Coal fires burning around the world are an environmental catastrophe characterized by the emission of noxious gases, particulate matter, and condensation by-products. Underground mine fires and burning culm banks ignited by natural causes or human error are responsible for atmospheric pollution, acid rain, perilous land subsidence, the destruction of floral and faunal habitats, human fatalities, and increased coronary and respiratory diseases. Some of the oldest and largest coal fires in the world occur in China...