Blankenship's treatment of maid "reminiscent of slavery ... an affront to common decency".

[sabrina 1]

This was the opinion of two judges, Justice Albright and Justice Starcher in a case brought by Deborah May, a former employee of Massey Energy, who was assigned to work as a maid for Don Blankenship.

Massey Energy: The Accountant of Coal

Blankenship, his opponents and supporters agree, simply has to get his way.

Nothing illustrates this better than his fight with a maid earning $8.86 an hour. In 2001, Deborah May started working for Mate Creek Security, a company "related to Massey Energy," according to court documents. When Mate Creek assigned her to work for Blankenship, according to the documents, May cleaned his three-story home, shopped, and did laundry. By 2005 she was also cleaning a bus, two cabins, and a mansion in Kentucky. She received one 30 cents hourly raise. After Blankenship said she would also have to care for a "German police dog," according to the documents, she quit.

In November 2005, May applied for unemployment benefits, saying she was forced to leave the job. The state denied her claim, concluding she quit for no reason. In June 2008, West Virginia's top court reversed the state's denial of benefits. Two of the court's justices said "the unrefuted evidence" showed that Blankenship "physically grabbed" the maid, threw food after she brought back the wrong fast-food order, and tore a tie rack and coat hanger out of a closet after she forgot to leave the hanger out for his coat. "This shocking conduct" showed May was in effect fired because she felt compelled to quit, the justices said. They said the conduct was "reminiscent of slavery and is an affront to common decency."

More details of how Deborah May was treated by Blankenship emerged when the original decision was reversed and the case was returned to court:

Deborah K. May v. Chair and Members, Board of Review; Commissioner, West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs; and Mate Creek Security, Incorporated

On two different occasions, Mr. Blankenship physically grabbed Ms. May. Once, while trying to stock the coach bus after a last minute notice to do so, Mr. Blankenship grabbed her arm, pulled her towards him, and told her to leave the bus. Ms. May found that treatment to be embarrassing since many of Mr. Blankenship's guests were on the bus when the incident occurred. On another occasion, Mr. Blankenship sent her to McDonald's to purchase breakfast for him and his interior decorator. Ms. May placed the order, accepted the food and returned to the Blankenship home. As she unpacked the food, Mr. Blankenship discovered that McDonald's filled the order incorrectly; Mr. Blankenship started slinging the food and he grabbed Ms. May's wrist, telling her “Any time I want you to do exactly what I tell you to do and nothing more and nothing less.”

On or about July 12, 2005, Ms. May forgot to leave a coat hanger out for Mr. Blankenship to hang his coat. Mr. Blankenship's reaction was to tear the coat hanger and tie rack out of the closet. He left her a note explaining that she would get a call explaining why he tore it out. He wrote her that he “had 3 dogs stolen in 9 days, mines robbed, people complain incessantly, all of them want more money. None of them do what their (sic) asked.” Mr. Blankenship's secretary spoke to Ms. May and explained that “he tore the coat hanger and rack and stuff all out . . . that if I had to fix it and repair it and put everything back, it would be a good reminder that I was not to forgot (sic) that hanger in the future.

The judges ruled in her favor, stating that the termination of her employment should be ruled as a firing because :This shocking conduct directed at Ms. May leaves no doubt that Ms. May's working conditions were “so intolerable that a reasonable person would be compelled to quit.”

Books could be, and probably will be written about this man. But, it seems to me that there are far too many very disturbed individuals like this, in positions of power in this country. And they are influencing the laws that affect ordinary people. Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, and so many more, people with no sense of humanity.

I hope he is prosecuted, if only to start making it clear that America does not want to ruled by nut-cases like this and that there are consequences for abuse of power. We haven't seen many consequences so far. Maybe this will be a beginning ....

[Spazito]

1. Disgusted but, given his history, not at all surprised...

Recommended.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. I'm typically opposed to prison violence/rape

but I can see a poetic justice in Blankenship getting slapped around repeatedly for failing to master the finer points of tossing salad.

[LiberalLoner]

3. LOL I'm with you on that one. n/t

[my2sense]

4. .

[HughMoran]

5. I feel like driving to WV and smashing Blankenships face in personally

This motherfucker need to be in jail :mad:

[Arugula Latte]

36. He's a sociopath, and a murderer.

Plain and simple.

[HughMoran]

37. A RIGHT WING psychopath and murderer

He has to live in his own personal hell that he has created for himself.

[Arugula Latte]

39. That is my wish

You just KNOW he's denying any culpability, even to himself, but I'm hoping the truth of the blood on his hands haunts him like a modern day MacBeth. I hope it wakes him up in the middle of the night and corrodes him from the inside out.

[badgerpup]

6. Somebody 'splain me somfin'...

:wtf:

Does the accumulation of vast amounts of money sort of leech onto a person and suck away any concept of common courtesy or empathy towards their 'underlings'?

This isn't the first plutocrat who has behaved like an absolute asshole to his domestic staff; abusing and denigrating them in this fashion.

Not all of them have the option of just walking out, either...

[sabrina 1]

7. I think he was always like this. I think that's why

Massey hired him. They needed a hit man to break the unions, eg, to make sure that profits were the most important consideration over and above human beings. He had the right personality for the job.

He's a power freak, but he couldn't have operated for this many years, if the company were not happy with how he was handling their affairs.

Eg, Massey Energy fired their older, more experienced miners and hired younger, inexperienced but cheaper labor.

People mean nothing to them. I think it's a mental illness and I think some people are born with it.

[Turborama]

11. Blankenship is a text book psychopath

As you say, some people are born with mental illness. In his case I think the definition of psycopath fits.

Characteristics of a Psychopath

(edited to remove characteristics we don't have evidence of)

superficial charm
self-centered & self-important
deceptive behavior & lying
conning & manipulative
little remorse or guilt
shallow emotional response
callous with a lack of empathy
living off others or predatory attitude
poor self-control
irresponsible behavior
blaming others for their actions
varied criminal activity

More: http://www.crisiscounseling.com/articles/psychopath.htm

I suspect Faux news' fans fit into http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html">this definition of socipaths, too.

[sabrina 1]

20. Yes, that describes him.

He threatened a reporter not so long ago also, told him if he took his photo, he might be shot.

What puzzles me is that so many people in WV were familiar with these psychopaths and they knew what they were doing, yet few challenged them. Including the politicians.

[misanthrope]

47. I've worked for a few people who would fit that description**nm

**

[theHandpuppet]

73. I think you nailed it, Sabrina1

Massey didn't hire him despite his personality, they hired him FOR IT.

[Turborama]

8. I have witnessed people change in that way after they have become successful

Not just to their underlings, either. My mother and my uncle (her brother) haven't spoken for about 20 years because of this. And I have seen friends of mine go that way, too. It's sad to see people who were fun to hang out with turn into very rude, cliquey assholes because they make some money and hang out with other rude cliquey assholes.

[BobbyBoring]

32. Yep

It's called "Acquired Narcissistic Personalty Disorder. Same thing with Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson, Ben Rothlessburger, etc.Tiger confessed to this felling of "Entitlement" in his pathetic "Apology" to whoever gives a fat rats behind.

I know a few "Really Rich" people, old money types and for the most part, they're normal. It's the ones who have suddenly become "Rich" that you gotta watch out for. I'm not big on violence either as I feel it's wrong to harm another human being, but you can't call Blankenship a human being. He's a lying, murdering scum back and I'd like nothing more than to see him in jail AFTER a bunch of coal miners beat the daylights out of him!

[misanthrope]

49. The Old Money folks I've known bore a strong sense of entitlement too.**nm

**

[Manifestor_of_Light]

77. I worked for judges like this and attorneys.

Intolerable to work for.

One of the most intolerable is the present elected District Attorney of Harris County, Texas. She runs on a "law and order" platform and is universally disliked at the courthouse. Nobody who worked for her was ever good enough -- prosecutors, clerks, court coordinators, court reporters, bailiffs, process servers -- NOBODY.

She is a sorry excuse for a human being.

The public just heard "law and Order" and they don't know she's an abusive narcissist.

[Shoedogg]

34. I suspect it's the other way around...

I suspect that this is simply the type of person who is more likely to become wealthy and/or powerful.
Hell, I submit that it is NECESSARY to be this sort of monster in order to become rich and powerful.

[Crystal Clarity]

40. Good Point nt

[misanthrope]

50. It's symbiotic...

...People like that seek power and wealth and it changes them accordingly.

Although, I will say I've seen formerly tolerable people changed for the worse by money, it could be that they always masked those socially unacceptable behaviors and attitudes but felt liberated to let them grow once they had the advantage of power.

[fascisthunter]

63. sociopaths have an easier time attaining wealth by whatever means

It's why you see so many of them with lots of money...

"Who'd be willing to do such a thing for money?!"

a sociopath

[depakid]

9. My bet is that the guy's dirty, and it wouldn't take much investigation at all to put him away

on federal charges.

Not that I expect Obama's Justice Department to follow through with that.

[boomerbust]

24. My punishment for Blankenship

Banish him to Australia!

[depakid]

25. If anything remotely similar to this mining disaster happened in Oz

there would be prison terms for the lot of them.

Not only would it be headline news everywhere and a national disgrace- but it would potentially topple governments.

You see, unlike America where miners earn poor wages and live and work under unsafe conditions, Aussies give a shit about human life- and miners, far from living in poverty under the thumbs of people like Blankenship and Robert E. "Bob" Murray (remember the Utah mine disaster?) -are unionized, very well well paid, have excellent health care, grow old & wealthy and have month long paid vacations.

One of many reasons why Australia is a successful nation- and America has fallen inexorably into decline.

In other words- as with your screen name- we're booming and you're busting.

[boomerbust]

41. OK Mate

"Not that I expect Obama's Justice Department to follow through with that"
If australia is all that, you should not worry your pet kangaroo about the dealings of the Obama Justice Department. Ga' Day

[frylock]

61. i don't expect obama's doj to follow through either..

sincerely,
pissed off californian

[depakid]

67. You exemplify the sort of hypernationalism and exceptionalism that prevents your nation

from solving problems.

Sad really- though in many people's cases, well deserved.

[Hannah Bell]

72. you're not australian, either, if i recall correctly...

[Hannah Bell]

42. BOLLOCKS. e.g. Beaconsfield Mine collapse 2006

At 9:26 pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on 25 April 2006 a seismic event triggered an underground rock fall at the Beaconsfield gold mine in northern Tasmania... Earlier speculation had suggested that mine blasting had caused the collapse...

Following a meeting the Australian Workers' Union held with the miners from Beaconsfield on 15 May they reported that no miner could be found who had been given workplace safety training, miners were unhappy with reductions in the amount of cement used to close in exploited parts of the mine, supports had been removed from lower parts of the mine and mesh intended to prevent rock collapse was known to be ineffective.<37>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaconsfield_Mine_collapse


no one was prosecuted, mate.

australia is home to one of the world's biggest mining corps (bhp billiton) & it has a horrible record.

Greens call for mine death inquiry
Posted Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:18pm AEST

The Western Australian Greens are calling for a judicial inquiry into mine safety, after the death of a BHP Billiton worker at the weekend...

The WA Mines Minister yesterday dismissed Opposition calls for a royal commission into the matter.

The Greens' Alison Xamon says it is time to start implementing changes to the state's mine safety system.

"We have had three reviews of the Mines Act already in the last 10 years and several inquiries into the resources industry," she said.

"The same things keep getting found over and over again, it's just about time someone started implementing rather than constant investigations."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/14/2872646.htm



Death halts BHP mine work MATHEW MURPHY
April 13, 2010

A MINER has died at BHP Billiton's Perseverance nickel mine in Western Australia, halting work and bringing the company's safety record under new scrutiny.

Unions have lashed out at Australia's largest miner, which has now recorded five fatalities this financial year, saying: ''The chase for profits … should not be at the expense of mineworkers' lives.''

The death comes after two BHP miners were trapped at the Perseverance mine in two separate underground rock falls within three weeks of each other last June.

http://www.theage.com.au/business/death-halts-bhp-mine-work-20100412-s430.html

[boomerbust]

48. Good one

Miss Bell.

[Hannah Bell]

52. "Australia's '2-speed' economy": high-profit minerals sector, low-profit non-minerals sector:

Sharp increases in global commodity prices, including a 90 percent jump in iron ore prices over the past month, have sparked a new round of exuberance in Australia’s financial press. Leading commentators claim that the new China-led minerals boom means a return to the decade of “prosperity” that preceded the 2008 crash.

The Reserve Bank, noting predictions of a 55 percent price increase for coal, says the boom means “a good 20 years for China and for us”. Australia is the world’s largest exporter of both iron ore and coal. Michael Stutchbury, economics editor of Australian newspaper claims that as long as “wages behave themselves,” Australia will succeed in completely dodging the global recession. Meanwhile, Alan Kohler, writing in the Business Spectator, tells readers “t’s getting harder and harder to shake off this feeling that Australia is entering a new golden age. The only way to stay glum in Australia at the moment is to read foreign newspaper websites.” Kohler notes that house prices surged 14 percent in 2009 and that unemployment, now officially 5.3 percent, is down from its 2009 peak of 5.7 percent: “ousehold wealth has been almost entirely restored after the GFC (global financial crisis).”

These euphoric statements obscure the significance of what has become known as Australia’s “two-speed economy”—that is, a high-profit mineral export sector and a low-growth, low-profit non-mineral economy.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/apr2010/aust-a19.shtml


That poster isn't even australian.

[depakid]

68. World socilaist workers ought to be pleased with high minimum wage/low undemployement

rather than spreading its usual lies.

And people wonder why, like Newsmax, they lack any credibility....

[Hannah Bell]

71. i think it's you who lacks credibility; billiton & rio tinto's corruption are well known.

Union officials pointed out that BHP Billiton workers who raise safety issues are threatened with victimisation and blacklisting. That is no doubt true but the question that Labor and union spokesmen carefully skirt around is the role they have played in creating this situation over the past three decades. Riding roughshod over the resistance of workers, Labor governments and the unions have worked hand in glove with employers to erode hard-won health and safety conditions in mining and every other industry.

These attacks were pioneered under the Accord agreements struck between the Hawke and Keating Labor governments and the unions from 1983 to 1996 to make Australian industry “internationally competitive”. Workers opposing retrogressive measures such as 12-hour shifts, cuts to manning levels and so-called multi-skilling were targeted by union officials and victimised.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/apr2010/lein-a16.shtml


and australia is no workers paradise. not even.

but you're the one who defended the gov't's colonial lockdown of the aboriginals, if i recall -

cause they're all pedophiles, & need to be taken in hand for their own good, lol.

[depakid]

79. It's pointless arguing with cluelessness

About the situation with aboriginals (which you don't understand) - about miners (who are if you knew the first thing- you would understand is a lucrative profession here) - about Australian labor laws in general ($15 per hour minimum wage, 5.2% unemployment- plus many other benefits) - about education issues. Or god forbid about the topic of vaccination.

[Hannah Bell]

80. pfft. you're not even australian, & some actual australians have corrected you in previous debates.

all the articles i posted must be hooey.

the ex-pat contract person knows all.

[depakid]

87. Think whatever you like

and as far as being corrected- lol- no, we agree on basic objective facts -though we may have different opinions on the issues. Yet another difference between the two countries.

Bottom line is that if Murray had done to an MP- especially a minister, what he did to Nancy Pelosi (basically lie, obfuscate and essentially flip her off) there'd be consequences.

Likewise, if Blankenship behaved the way he has- all the while violating federal laws and regulations- off to gaol he'd go.

[Hannah Bell]

89. billiton & rio tinto *own* the australian government.

their *profit* alone in 2006 = about 1% of australian gdp.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/bhp-profit-soars-63-to-new-record/2006/08/23/1156012597480.html

[depakid]

90. Wait- I thought Merck & PhARMA did re: gardasil?

which is why all Australian schoolgirls got vaccinated?

Frankly, Gough Whitlam had it right back in the 1970's about taking control of the countries' resources, but that didn't happen- so the government has to regulate more diligently.

Which compared with the shocking situation in the states, it does.

[Hannah Bell]

92. merck is headquartered in new jersey.

[depakid]

69. What you've got with Blankenship and Murray is MAGNITUDES worse and more corrupt

that anything you'd see in the Australian mining sector. Hell, you can't even unionize at Masssey!

Let me repeat- if anything remotely similar to the situation that Blankenship and Murray preside over, with multiple, willful and wholesale violations of health and safety laws and regulations (such as you have)- those responsible would be in prison.

There wouldn't even need to be stories of firing miners who attended funerals or slave labor treatment of maids and other workers.

[Hannah Bell]

70. billiton & rio tinto are the biggest strikebreakers & union-busters on the planet.

and every bit as corrupt and murderous as massey. more so, because they're magnitudes bigger.

and they're merging some of their operations.


Billiton:

Cars ram equal pay picket at BHP-B mine
27 July 2004

An Australian Workers' Union picket line was allegedly rammed yesterday by two management cars at BHP Billiton’s remote Yandi iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara.

Witnesses say the cars tried to ram their way through the pickets, but workers stood their ground despite contact with the vehicles. Un-badged security guards also attempted to fight their way through the picket line, where a number of women were present.

“I appeal to BHP Billiton and their contractors to obey police instructions before anybody is hurt. These incidents come despite a commitment from management that they would respect these lawful picket lines,” Mr Shorten said.


Union workers at Yandi - members of the AWU and AMWU - are seeking the same pay and conditions as offered to other workers under non-union individual contracts (AWAs)... Workers have also written to mine management expressing their concern over safety breaches at the site. Yandi is next to BHP Billiton’s Orebody 25 mine, where a 20-year-old apprentice was killed on May 20 – one of three deaths in as many weeks at BHP Billiton’s Iron Ore operations in WA.

Mr Shorten said BHP Billiton and its contractors were attempting to discriminate against workers at Yandi because of their union membership and were refusing to allow new employees their democratic right to choose a union agreement. "BHP Billiton has sabotaged the Yandi workers’ legitimate negotiations for a union agreement by refusing to offer them the same pay and conditions as in non-union individual contracts.”

The Yandi iron ore mine, about 130 kilometres from Newman, is a fly-in/fly-out operation with about 210 employees. It is operated by contractors Henry Walker Eltin for owners BHP Billiton Iron Ore.

http://www.awu.net.au/109090823326513_5.html?H%7C19%7C109090823326513%7C1650568461182

[depakid]

78. Sorry to bust the bee in your bonnet- but Howard's gone &Australian mine unions are doing quite well

now that "work choices" has been repealed.

Seems you're behind on the times- and as I said, this sort of thing topples governments (as it did with Howard, who became only the second sitting PM to lose his own seat.

Over Labor laws.

And yet the WSW types rarely stop and think before they spurt.

Next thing you know, they'll be claiming that the Rudd government is trying to destroy public education and well paid teachers by publishing public and private school's scholastic results.

Oh wait...

[Hannah Bell]

81. and billiton & rio tinto are still bringing in contractors, and still among the biggest

strikebreakers & murderers on the planet.

and the changes to workchoice are less than the PR suggests, including yours.


Australian government retains key “Work Choices” measures against workers

...Labor's "new bargaining system" entrenches practically all the Work Choices bans on industrial action. Whereas Work Choices outlawed industrial action to insert "prohibited content" into enterprise agreements, Labor's version would make it illegal to stop work over any "prerogative of management," including mass sackings, plant closures and choice of suppliers.

Gillard emphasised that "unprotected industrial action will not be tolerated under any circumstances". "Wild-cat" or snap strikes would be severely punished, all industrial action would require a secret ballot with three days' notice, and workers must not demand strike pay. In the event of industrial action, including partial work bans, employers would be legally entitled to lock-out workers.

No industrial action would be permitted in solidarity with other workers, or over a political or environmental issue. In addition, strikers could be ordered to return to work if their action threatened the economy, or significant harm to the employer, or safety or health.

In one apparent departure from Work Choices, "low-paid workers" (undefined) would be permitted to negotiate collectively with employers across an industry, e.g., child care or cleaning. However, they would have no right whatsoever to take industrial action.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/oct2008/indr-o04.shtml


sounds so labor-friendly!

[Hannah Bell]

83. billiton: destroying australia & exporting its resources to china.

http://archive.lee.greens.org.au/index.php/content/view/1339/65/

BHP Billiton has permanently wrecked two beautiful rivers near where I live in Douglas Park, by mining for coal underneath the river beds of the lower Cataract and the upper Georges.

And now they plan to wreck a third: the 4.5 k stretch of the Nepean between Douglas Park and Menangle.

It is unbelievable that the NSW government (specifically, the Minister for Mineral Resources) would continue to allow the destruction of our precious rivers in this way.

It would be so easy for the Minister just to disallow mining under river beds, as is his/her prerogative. And if this cuts into profits - and government royalties - then that's a price that must be paid to save what remains of the lovely rivers in our state.

BHP Billiton's net profit for this last financial year was $4.7 billion - a record 77% increase (SMH, 21-22 Aug., 2004).

The loss of a tiny portion of coal seams under rivers would surely not take much of a bite out of this lump sum. This is a small price for the government (in terms of lost royalties) and BHP to pay in order to preserve precious assets for future generations.

[sabrina 1]

84. That was in 2004 though. Do you think that since Howard

is gone, things are different? I don't know anything about Australia's mining industry or policies, but Howard was a Bush lackey and emulated him as much as he could. Who knows why, but I could see him asking for advice from the U.S. about the mining industry also.

[Hannah Bell]

85. no, nothing is different. mining corps have operated the same since the 1800s & even before.

and they're run by international networks of common capital.

[sabrina 1]

86. Global Capitalism then? Is the U.S. mining business invested in by

Global Capitalists? I know parts of our educational system are, thanks to Neil Bush and his software program, Ignite. He got investors from China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia eg.

[Hannah Bell]

88. hp billiton's 10 largest shareholders:

http://www.bhpbilliton.com/annualreports2008/2008-business-review-and-annual-report/annual-report/shareholder-information/share-ownership/index.html.

1. HSBC Australia Nominees Pty Ltd 14.29%
(= hong kong & shanghai banking corp, world's largest, founded on opium $)

2. J P Morgan Nominees 9.95%
(no intro needed)

3. National Nominees Ltd 9.03%
(national australia banking group)
(
4. Citicorp Nominees Pty Limited 8.12%
(aka city bank = rockefeller)

5. Citicorp Nominees Pty Limited 5.12%
(ditto)

6. Australian Mutual Provident Society 2.86%
(Australian financial corp)

7. ANZ Nominees Limited 2.45
(new zealand financial corp)

8. Queensland Investment Corporation 1.14
(australian real estate/investment corp, led by chair of rothschild australia)

9. ANZ Nominees Limited 0.56
(previous)

10. Potter Warburg Nominees Pty Ltd
http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showPerson.php?id=763&name=Potter-Warburg-Group-of-Companies

BlackRock Australia traces its history back to the 1980s. It was first known in 1983 as Potter Partners Asset Management and in 1987 as Potter Warburg Asset Management. In the mid-1990s the firm became Mercury Asset Management and eventually became a part of the investment arm of securities firm Merrill Lynch. In 2006, Merrill Lynch merged its investment arm with fund manager BlackRock, and the name of what started as Potter Partners Asset Management became BlackRock.

http://www.investordaily.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/id/style/6697.htm?rdeCOQ=SID-0A3D9633-779C96B8


Then you look at who owns most of those financial corps...you find they own each other....

rinse & repeat.

[sabrina 1]

91. Interesting, thanks for the information. I just

looked at U.S. Coal and foreign investment. European countries seem to be the most prominent investors in U.S. coal.

Privatization and Globalization of Energy Markets: Coal

Financial incentives are another possible motive for investing in U.S. coal. Were it not for the widespread exit of the U.S. major petroleum companies from domestic coal mining, this motive might appear more plausible. It was largely due to several years of financial under performance among their coal segments that resulted in the majors' departure from U.S. coal. Only three times in the last eighteen years did the majors' profitability in coal exceed the profitability of their consolidated operations {see Endnote 289}.

Possibly the key factor motivating UK and German investors is that as inefficient European mines continue to close, multinational European coal producers have had to move abroad in order to remain in the coal business. As is evident from the discussion below, the United States and Australia (with their extensive coal reserves, established export markets, and few impediments to foreign investors) have gained prominence as targets for coal investments.

Interesting, lots of money to be made from this industry. No wonder there is such resistance to eg, the Wind Project in WV, on the mountain tops, instead of what is happening now.

[Hannah Bell]

74. BHP Blocks Investigation into Death

AWU National President & Queensland Secretary Bill Ludwig has condemned BHP Billiton's refusal to allow a full independent occupational, health and safety investigation following the death of 19 year old miner, Daniel Hensler, at BHP Billiton's Cannington Mine located east of Mt. Isa in December 2006.

"It is now easier for people to visit David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay, than for Unions to meet with their members in the workplace to make sure they are safe at work."

http://www.labor.net.au/news/1167798175_15207.html

[Hannah Bell]

75. bhp substitutes contract labor for permanent union labor

Mineworkers at Peak Downs, Saraji,
Norwich Park, Crinum and Gregory as
well as the Hay Point Coal Terminal have
been locked in protracted industrial action
over new enterprise agreements as BHP
pursues its secret agenda of reshaping not
only its workforce but the regional
communities in Central Queensland.

The communities are demanding to
know why BHP won’t agree to provide
security of employment for its coal
industry workforce when it is among the
most productive in the world, delivering
record profits.

But that’s not enough for the
multinationals these days. The gurus of
Economic Rationalism preach that labour
costs can be further slashed and profits
increased by gutting the permanent
workforce and cutting job security.

BHP is now clearly seeking
to create an itinerant workforce that will
no longer be permanently based in the
Central Queensland mining townships.
Contractors, casual workers and a core
permanent workforce will be bussed in
to the mines, if BHP has its way.

The present mining towns will
become little more than branch offices to
cater for the mobile itinerant workforce...

Already the Central Queensland mining
communities are suffering from the impact
of BHP’s 40% reduction in its coal industry
workforce in the past three years.

The increased use of contractors and
casual labour coupled with BHP’s attacks
on job security have further undermined
confidence in the future of these
communities. Local businesses have
suffered as a result as have community
organisations and services.


http://www.cfmeu.com.au/storage/documents/Apr01CC.pdf

[sabrina 1]

28. I wouldn't wish him on anyone else.

My punishment for him would be to take away all of his money and order him to work in a Massey mine, starting at the minimum wage with no hope of a raise, ever. I would order him to organize the miners to join the union.

All his money would have be divided between people like Ms. May and all the other people he has hurt throughout his miserable life.

Oh yes, Massey Energy would be handed over to Caperton, the mine owner he put out of business who won the 50 million dollar award but who lost after three appeals after Blankenship bought at least one of the judges.

[goclark]

45. Now that is Justice ~ yes!

[malaise]

10. What a scumbag

No surprise

[hobbit709]

12. Some people are just assholes

All that money does for some of them is to let them get away with it easier.
A poor asshole usually meets applied peer pressure. A rich asshole has guards to keep that from happening.

[BanzaiBonnie]

13. It's easy to make the tough decisions - like letting 29 miners die

if you're a sociopath.

Sadly, the system is set up so that sociopaths are rewarded for making life and death decisions.

[Mopar151]

31. That's the whole concept of "fiduciary duty"

The dollar figure is what matters, not the cost in people, lives, or the ecology of the planet. And worse, at the moment, what is rewarded is short term performance - so that wasting of the assets of the enterprise, human, mineral, or otherwise, for short term gain, becomes mandatory.

[live love laugh]

14. Who the hell does he think he is grabbing her. . . at 8.86 an hour yet, Greedy racist SOB. nt

[sabrina 1]

55. What's the matter with you? He's a PATRIOT!

Don Blankenship Calls Efforts On Mine Safety Regulation 'As Silly As Global Warming'




His snide comments about 'liberals' and 'environmentalists' who he calls 'Greeniacs' are legendary. He's been pretty quiet lately though.

[femrap]

15. His dogs weren't

stolen....they willingly ran away.

What a turd.

Ms. May should be running Massey Energy.

[sabrina 1]

82. 'Ms May should be running Massey Energy'.

That would be poetic justice, especially if she brought back the Union ~

[Kievan Rus]

16. Blankenship is the embodiment of seemingly single every robber-baron stereotype

It's almost as if he's a cariacature.

[guitar man]

17. I'm not a big fan of violence

But in the case of this guy, I think I can make an exception. If somebody repeatedly smacked the piss out if this asshole, I couldn't find it in my heart to condemn them for it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Ah this is the time for one of my favorite stories

you think this is Blankenship? No, this is the entitlement that comes with LOTS of wealth.

We got a call for a Medical Call. It was one of the wealthiest homes in Tijuana...

So we arrived on scene, and we were promptly informed that we were called because well, the PRIVATE company they had the contract with did not bother (they did not have available) a unit to transport their father, who was "very sick."

I promptly informed the wife that we had to do a physical assessment to see if her husband needed any advanced care. To whit I received a tongue lashing. I mean we were just the hired help (never mind we were volunteers)

I stood my ground and did a medical assessment of this older gentleman, and to make a long story short we soon found that per protocol we should start an IV and place him on a monitor, as well as Oxygen. His wife was like shocked that a PUBLIC institution had the same toys as the private company that they had on retainer.

Well we started an IV, which means a dirty needle... and the woman told me... leave it there, the hired help will take care of the trash.

Well I gently took my trash and put it away. I carried a SHARPS container with me. But think about this... trash that SHOULD NOT be handled just like trash, and by this moment she'd changed her attitude vis a vis me, since I spoke to her in very high end Spanish.

So this is not surprising or shocking. I almost expect it, but it goes without saying I actually gave her a piece of my mind when she treated my crew like hired help. That alone was shocking to her.

[sabrina 1]

38. Are the rich different?

That woman was willing to allow the hired help to maybe get a desease from handling contaminated materials.

I don't think that's true of everyone though. Think of the CEO of Costco eg. We don't hear much about decent people who get rich and treat their employees well.

I think the media here loves people like Blankenship, Bush, Cheney, Rove et al, people who are the epitome of the evil characters we read about in stories when we were little. The good guys don't win anymore. It's as if the world has turned upside down and the evil people are elevated here.

If Blankenship and Massey Energy had been held accountable long ago, things would be different in how they came to be viewed.

The country's media worships money and youth and phony looks etc. Decency is ignored or snickered at. They mistake bullying for strength and teach that to young people.

This is capitalism at its worst. I hope it changes because right now we don't live in a very nice society.

[misanthrope]

51. Not sure...

..."That woman was willing to allow the hired help to maybe get a disease from handling contaminated materials."

My bet is that she never even thought about the contamination aspect. From my experience, wealthy folks aren't nearly as mentally adroit as they like to believe they are. For the most part, their insulated lifestyles often result in a lazy mind since they don't have environmental pressures to keep them resourceful and quick-thinking. "Life is but a dream" and we all know what can accompany bliss.

[sabrina 1]

54. True, they are given credit for far more intelligence than

they often have. She probably was just thinking that taking out the trash is the hired help's duty with no thought of anything else.

Blankenship, eg, may be good at counting money, but I would bet his IQ in other areas is pretty low. Looking at him dressed up in the U.S. flag at the Tea Party rally he helped fund, puts him in the IQ category of most Fox viewers.

I probably shouldn't say they are lacking in intelligence, but they seem to have no critical thinking skills. He, eg, should have known or feared that the odds of something like this latest tragedy happening were pretty high, given his refusal to do anything about safety measures, and that he would be blamed.

But he was conditioned by not having to pay any consequences up to now, and most likely thought it would always be that way. That is illogical thinking though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

66. I am sure she did not realize that was a dirty needle

in more ways than one.

Also that means that hubby (and I treated all patients the same) could be a carrier for a contagious disease. And it has nothing to do with his personal life. Hell you can get AIDS or Hepatitis from a blood transfusion. But you are right, she never thought about that. And quite frankly I don't expect MOST people to think about it either, unless they are in the medical field. To her it was just trash... and that is what hired help does.

[nadinbrzezinski]

65. This is why I said ENTITLEMENT.

And they do tend to go hand in hand... that does not mean that ALL wealthy people are like that.

[backscatter712]

19. I hope Blankenship dies of black lung. It'd be poetic justice. n/t

[mod mom]

23. and penniless after civil suits!

[JoeyTrib]

21. German police dog?

:wtf:

[Hello_Kitty]

22. Jesus God. eom

[lonestarnot]

26. That fucker!

Needs a good tar and feather job.

[Machineland]

27. Blankenship

I'm ashamed this guy is a Blankenship. I want to say thats not how we all act. I want to go and slap this guy as he has has brought shame to my last name.

[myrna minx]

29. Horrible! n/t

[tblue]

30. He'll look so good in that orange jumpsuit. nt

[TwilightGardener]

33. What a wackadoodle.

[guyton]

35. Mate Creek Security

Anyone want to bet that Mate Creek Security was paid by Massey Energy for vague "security services" and the entire cost of his maid service was written off as a business expense?

[sabrina 1]

43. That's another scary thing about these rightwing thugs. They are all

hiring these mercenary corps to guard them from the masses. How long will it be before one of the starts shooting at ordinary U.S. citizens who may have a disagreement with a jerk like Blankenship? He has in the past, threatened to shoot a reporter, and his thugs, 'mercenaries' have physically threatened the children of protestors against the Mountain Top Removal.

Coal Boss: If You Take Photos, 'You're Liable To Get Shot'

"If you're going to start taking pictures of me, you're liable to get shot," the chairman of one of the country's biggest coal mining companies, Don Blankenship of Massey Energy, told an ABC News reporter before grabbing the reporter's camera.

'Shoot the Press'! These people grew up in a democracy, Cheney, Bush, Blankenship et al. I think they are in the wrong country, which is probably why they have to wrap themselves in flags all the time. They are a real danger to human beings. I just wish there weren't so many of them.

[jpak]

44. Blankenship should be tried for the deaths of those coal miners

and spend the rest of hs days behind bars

yup

[Plucketeer]

46. Human fecal discharge

That's what this jerk really is.

[Hubert Flottz]

53. I think you give big bad Don way too much credit.

[eShirl]

56. Who does he think he is, an abusive spouse?

asinine self-centered control freak

[DirtyDawg]

57. Better yet...

...maybe some of his 'indentured' employees should consider exercising their 2nd Amendment rights and start 'packin' heat' - or whatever the term is - and should he infringe on any of their rights as citizens of the good ol' USofA, then...well, I'd better not say, but it would be 'poetic' justice - doubt if Blank-in-ship would appreciate...does that name mean that he doesn't have a boat?

[JDPriestly]

62. I'm not sure about the rules of DU, but, DirtyDawg, much as

I detest the way Blankenship is reported to have dealt with his employee, I detest advocacy of violence far more. I hope that you are not advocating violence, but please withdraw your post if you are. We don't advocate violence on DU. This is, as far as I can remember, a nonviolent website. Many of us are lifelong advocates of nonviolence.

I don't visit many other discussion websites so it may be that DU is unique in this respect, but I for one strongly object to any post that suggests that violence could be the answer to any problem. Again, please withdraw your post if you intended to advocate violence.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

58. Too many of these f'n a-holes "running" too many companies.

We are inundated with cretinous CEOs that shit all over people and are rewarded with fat bonuses and absurd perks. All in the name of "business". You know, it's "just business".

:grr:

[naaman fletcher]

59. Is he related to Kenny Blankenship? nt.

[frylock]

60. i hope this guy goes to prison and gets the living shit kicked out of him on a daily basis..

nice sense of entitlement, you murdering motherlicker.

[whathehell]

64. Well, thank goodness they at least ruled in her favor regarding the UE benefits!

major effing prick!

[Dappleganger]

76. Holy shit, what a monster!

It's amazing she stayed as long as she did. There's a special place in hell for assholes like that.