Coal miners - the poor of the earth

[malaise]

I notice that thirteen are trapped in Virginia and two trapped in Tasmania, Australia. There are regular accidents in China as well. Who really cares about their safety. I read that the mine in Virginia was fined last month for violations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5518568,00.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/01/02/mine.explosion/

Edit - add link

[MountainLaurel]

1. No one with the power to change things

In the U.S., the Mine Safety and Health Administration -- founded after the nation's worst coal mining disaster, in my hometown -- has for decades been led by people with strong ties to the coal companies themselves. The foxes are watching the henhouse, and they have a profit motive to keep them from protecting their charges.

[malaise]

4. Lifeis hell for poor people

across this planet. The rich don't give a damn. One waiting wife said her 27 year old husband was getting out because it was so dangerous. I hope those poor men are alive and well. 14 hours and counting..can you imagine the wait for parents, wives, girlfriends and children.
Jodu, tell that to a waiting family member.
Edit -sp., add.

[acmejack]

9. There are mountain tops to be removed.

Tailings to dump, as for the miners? Merely the inevitable casualties of the the war to maximize profits. Safety is expensive!

It was why the mies were fertile ground for Union organizers (if they could survive. union busting is an old, well established sport among the elite) in the old days.

[jody]

2. China's death rate from mining accidents is 100 times that in the U.S. n/t

[Divernan]

3. Approx. 140 violations in past year, 70some of them "serious"

According to an interview I heard tonight on a West Virginia NPR station. The reporter was talking to a local college vice president who had been head of federal mine safety.

[malaise]

5. That's a lot of violations n/t

[MountainLaurel]

6. I'm not surprised

Most of these operations are quite small, with almost no oversight from federal safety authorities or the state version, who are almost all in the pocket of the mining companies. The operators know this and do everything they can to squeeze every last penny out of an operation. (The mine flood in PA a couple years ago was caused because a mining company went about 100 feet farther than it had rights to and didn't tell anyone, so the longer shaft wasn't marked on any maps.) They employ people who lost their jobs when the large mine operations closed in the 1980s and 90s (as well as other factory operations) or young men with a high school degree and no local job prospects other than Mall-Wart or Bob Evans. My father is pacing the floor tonight wondering which of the men he worked in the mines with 20 years ago is in that dark shaft tonight.

[malaise]

8. I wonder when humanity will pay

for the neglect of the world's poor. I hope none of your dad's friends is in that dark shaft tonight,but sadly that only means someone else is not going to be that lucky.

[QC]

7. 13 miners killed in Alabama in 2001.

Twelve were men who had volunteered to rescuse fellow miners trapped by a previous explosion when a second explosion buried them.

This kind of thing is routine--mining is a very dangerous profession. But there's little news coverage of any on-the-job fatalities--we don't want people to start thinking about how work is one of the most dangerous places to be.

[carolinalady]

10. First of all, let me say that what they do is dangerous and I

would never have the guts to do it. My heart goes out to the families. Now having said that, my father-in-law worked in the coal mines in PA. He made more than double the hourly wage that my father who had a masters degree in education did. Was paid double time for overtime and holidays (not time and one half) and triple time if it was a holiday on a Sunday. Consequently back in the 70's he was making almost 100K a year. After teaching for 35 years my father did not even make 40K so I would not use the word poor.
Also-he is now retired and has the only "full pay" health insurance that still exists.

[spinbaby]

11. I have family in coal

My son works in a mine now, my husband used to. They both claim that coal mining is not nearly as dangerous as the news makes it out to be and they both like being underground. But my son has a sticker on his helmet detailing what to do if he's trapped underground--it scares me.


There is still money in coal, although not as much as there used to be. A starting miner in our area makes ten dollars an hour with no benefits. An experienced mine mechanic makes over $100,000.

[malaise]

12. It's very hard work

and given what they do, they are not well paid. Coal miners of this planet are poor people.

[two gun sid]

13. Maybe back in the days when the UMWA ...

was able to get good contracts from the operators. Not now. This mine was no longer unionized. The corporate raider who bought the mine was able to convince a bankruptcy judge that he shouldn't have to honor retirements or health care.

Unfortunately, the word poor does apply to these and most miners today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2016485&mesg_id=2016677

[King Coal]

14. Malaise, have you ever been underground?

What do you know about MSHA violations? Mining is dangerous, but miners are very will trained and are highly skilled. Safety is not expensive. Poor safety is expensive. I know. I've worked in the mines all my life.

[malaise]

15. I know what I read or hear

but I've never been underground except in caves. Poor safety is only expensive if skilled workers matter more than profit. In these neocon days, I have severe doubts re corporations views on skilled workers.