Massey CEO to miners: I will close this mine if you vote union

[Omaha Steve]

http://peoplesworld.org/massey-ceo-to-miners-i-will-close-this-mine-if-you-vote-union/

by: Tim Wheeler April 13 2010


Photo: From left, Candi McMillian, her husband Tony Jones, and Elena Newson stand over the casket of miner William Roosevelt Lynch of Oak Hill, W.Va., during funeral services on Sunday, April 11, in Beckley, W.Va. Lynch was one of 29 miners who died in the explosion at Massey Energy Co.'s Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W. Va. (AP/Jeff Gentner)

President Obama ordered flags lowered to half-staff throughout West Virginia April 12 mourning the 29 miners who died in an explosion at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine a week earlier.

Rescue teams found the bodies of four missing miners, pushing the death toll to 29, the worst mine disaster in nearly three decades.

United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts told MSNBC's Ed Show April 9 that the UMW had conducted three campaigns to unionize the huge underground mine, one of 47 Massey mines that employ 5,400 miners, all but a handful of them denied union protection.

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, a notorious corporate exploiter obsessed with maximum production and profits, spearheaded the campaign to block the union, Roberts charged.

"This guy, making $30-some million in 2005, went inside the coal mine and sat down with every single worker and said: 'If you vote for the union, you're not going to have a job because I will close this mine down.'"

Roberts said the first UMW representation election was a "tie vote," adding, "We lose on all ties. We had 65 to 70 percent of the workers signed cards and they wanted the union but they couldn't get a union."

FULL story at link.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. And he knew he could get away with it

since the NLBR has few teeth...

By the way... what he did is ilegal, but hey... intimidation is nothing when compared to murder and he will get away with it.

:grrrr:

[LakeSamish706]

2. And now they need to haul his ass off to jail. This guy needs to be indicted for

this BS of unsafe working conditions in these mines.

[Canuckistanian]

3. Call his bluff

I did.

When I was organizing a union vote at my workplace, the president told me the very same thing.

We called his bluff. And won.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. Union to Massey CEO - Try us.

We'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to. But you are responsible for the safety of the miners!

Hawkeye-X

[HughMoran]

5. Blankenship needs to be terminated

I'm talking about his position as CEO of Massey (what did you think I meant? :evilgrin:)

[UpInArms]

6. China has a mining accident - all miners rescued alive - US has a mining accident

all bodies are recovered.

That says it all.

We, folks, have lost the match.

[SidDithers]

19. There are 7 miners PER DAY killed in China's coal mines...

http://www.chinamining.org/News/2010-01-21/1264035652d33587.html

The number of workers who died in China's notoriously dangerous coal mines dropped in 2009 because of improved safety measures, state media said Wednesday.

A total of 2,631 miners -- about seven a day -- were killed last year, down by 584 from 2008, Xinhua news agency said, citing the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety.

The number of mining accidents also fell by 338 to 1,616, it said.

Fatalities at China's coal mines peaked in 2002 when 6,995 deaths were recorded, sparking efforts by the government to boost safety standards.

I would be cautious about holding China up as an example of anything.

Sid

[harkadog]

23. China has the worst mine safety in the world.

Who are you trying to kid?

[Bitwit1234]

7. If the Law follows course he will be sitting in prison of 33 counts

of murder. Why isn't this happening. Why is he being allowed to do this. The government is letting the people down. If he is in jail someone with compassion could run the jail. And why they are at it at a conspiracy charge for the CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce who abetted this. Get em both.

[gratuitous]

8. Shorter Blankenship

"Shut yer traps and die so I can make more money."

[amborin]

9. typical union-busting threat! he should be incarcerated

[sfpcjock]

10. Olbermann had a story tonight about Limbaugh saying

that the union should have prevented this accident. Yeah! If they had been allowed into the mine they would have done so. Blankenship even prevented union rescue teams from assisting in the rescue and recovery. (I guess he plans to reopen this mine ASAP as a continuing non-union shop.)

[rucky]

11. The mine should be closed anyway.

[Kievan Rus]

12. Blankenship is pure evil

[Subdivisions]

13. A true union-minded tradesman (and the union itself) would tell him to get fucked and vote

That's what I did to get into my trade union. We called his bluff. He fired us for attending a weekend meeting at a friends house. The business agent pressed charges at NRLB and former boss had to pay me back pay from the time he fired us until the time that the union was able to get us onto their rolls and back to work. For me that equated to $600 per week for several months. And then he was required to honor the vote and became a probationary union shop on a one-year contract. They didn't make the cut and we voted to cut them loose after that contract.

[Omaha Steve]

14. I was fired for organizing in 1980

It took 3 & 1/2 years to win my case with the NLRB and in US Court. I too got back pay and interest.

[hobbit709]

15. If he followed through and closed every mine

he wouldn't be making any money now, would he?

[JNelson6563]

16. Close mine = Kill goose that lays golden eggs

What an idiot.

[glitch]

17. Massey shareholders might have another view on that, one that affects him personally. nt

[Brickbat]

18. Gosh, haven't heard that one before. So you call his bluff.

Or you live on your knees and 29 people die.

[madmom]

20. Olberman also said that union rescue teams where turned away! Why is this

not being investigated? If this is true this place needs to be bankrupted and all monies given to the remaining workers and families who have lost loved ones in the past!

[rhett o rick]

21. Until we have more jobs in America, the employers have the upper hand. I say we nationalize themine

Nationalize the mine for failure to maintain a safe working environment.

[senseandsensibility]

22. a kick for solidarity

If anything good comes of this, I hope it will be an increased awareness of the importance of unions.