Don Blankenship

[wallybarron]

was being interviewed about the trapped miners. Does Massey have anything to do with this mine?
Bennett Hatfield, CEO of ICG, came from Arch Coal and Massey.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

1. Massey is partnered with International Coal Group

in the purchase of Horizon Energy.

Wilbur Ross, Jr., a billionaire who calls himself a Democrat, made possible the purchase of both the bankrupt Horizon Energy, in which an entire UMWA workforce was thrown into the road, bereft of their pensions and their healthcare, active and retirees alike, as well as the bankrupt Anker West Virginia Energy, owners of the Sago #1 mine.

Sago #1 is nothing new to Wilbur Ross, Jr. He has plenty of blood on his hands already.

Would it be OK if we were to politely suggest to Wilbur Ross, Jr. that he never, ever, forever and ever vote Democrat again?

[wallybarron]

2. Not sure what to suggest

at this point. I went to bed thinking twelve miners were alive and woke up to find eleven were dead. Seems like plenty of Democrats have been involved in this travesty over the years. Coal is West Virginia's curse. Good editorial in the Gazette this morning.

[Kukesa]

3. Thanks for the info, Captain.

This is exactly what I was looking for, although I was hoping he was a Repuke and gave scads of bucks to BushCo.

My dad was born in Beckley and my husband is from Elkins, so although I'm a Buckeye, I feel some kinship to you and yours.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

10. As an addendum,

I have lately been informed by a listener in Massachusetts that Wilbur Ross is a buddy of John Kerry's. Not that I'm surprised.

[Petrushka]

4. How Wilbur Ross Jr.--the bottom-feeder king--makes billions

No time to comment . . . but . . . check out the following graph:




Also: Scroll down to Mega-Financier Wilbur Ross Owns the Mine Where Disaster Occurred here:

http://www.newshounds.us/2006/01/03

[Kukesa]

5. Union?

Petrushka, do most miners belong to United Mine Workers? If not, what happened to the unions down there in West-by-God-Virginia? (That's what my husband calls your fair state.)

And, thanks for the very informative post!

My heart is still breaking for those families . . .

[wallybarron]

6. This is a non union mine.

[Kukesa]

7. So, are most mines non-union?

If so, how/when/why did this departure from unions happen?

[GrpCaptMandrake]

11. Started in the 1980s under Reagan

Coal companies were not only allowed, but practically encouraged to break the union.

[Petrushka]

8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (US Dept. of Labor) . . .

. . . (nationally) "About 23.7 percent of workers in coal mining...were union members in 2002...." (Of course, not all union miners belong to the UMWA. But, when it comes to questioning how many do belong . . . well, I have no idea.]

In any case: For everything you didn't know you wanted to know about mining statistics, see the following website:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs004.htm

As for the decline in union membership in the coal industry: Blame most of it on the fact that advanced technologies--longwall mining and mountaintop removal mining methods--replaced men with machinery. Like: Who needs coal miners?!

Considering that more and more coal is being mined by fewer and fewer men, perhaps the UMWA (and other unions) might figure out, yet, how to collect union dues from robots.

[Kukesa]

9. Wow. You are a terrific resource person.

Thanks so much for helping me get a better idea of what's going on in WV. I sincerely appreciate your time.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. now don's mine is in trouble

maybe if he hadn't chased an advocate of mine safety like warren mcgraw off the court, this wouldn't have happened