Severian
14th August 2007, 07:55
It's significant that this, along with some other recent mine disasters, was in a non-union mine. Typically, these disasters turn out to be preventable, i.e. caused by the company putting profits first.
From the latest Militant (http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7130Sup/7130Sup02.html)
Utah miners, relatives speak out on unsafe conditions before cave-in
BY BILL ESTRADA AND CHRIS HOEPPNER
HUNTINGTON, Utah, August 8I dont think this was an earthquake and Im not surprised this happened, said Csar Snchez in an interview today. His brother Manuel Snchez is one of six coal miners trapped underground by a massive cave-in at the nonunion Crandall Canyon mine.
The cave-in happened at 2:48 a.m. on August 6. No communication has been established with the men, who are 3.4 miles from the mine entrance and 1,500 feet underground. As much as 2,000 feet of rock and debris are blocking rescue efforts.
The mine, also known in the area as Genwal, is located in Huntington Canyon.
In addition to Snchez, trapped miners include Kerry Allred, Luis Hernndez, Brandon Phillips, Carlos Payn, and Don Erickson. Four other miners escaped.
Miners say the company is pressuring them not to talk to anyone about what happened. Murray Energy Corp. CEO Robert Murray confirmed this at a press conference today.
But Snchezs family is speaking out. Why are they telling us not to speak to the press? asked Mara Snchez, his sister. What are they afraid of?
A Crandall Canyon miner who had worked the shift before the collapse occurred told the Militant that the company had been retreat mining. He asked to remain anonymous.
Retreat mining is considered among the most dangerous mining methods. In this procedure, after an area is mined, workers take out the last bits of coal from the pillars that hold up the roof. This causes the roof to cave in.
The company denies they were retreat mining at the time of the collapse.
This was caused by an earthquake, Murray insists. It was a natural disaster. But scientists disagree.
[A]ll of the available evidence indicates that the mine collapse itself was the earthquake, Lee Siegel, a University of Utah science news specialist, told the Associated Press.
Siegel also said that in Utahs recorded history, an earthquake has never triggered a mine collapse or a cave-in. However, there have been numerous cases where the collapse was recorded as an earthquake, he said.
If seismic activity may have instantly killed them, that is in the hands of the Lord, Murray said at a press conference yesterday.
Murray has shown that he does not care about the miners and their families, said Mara Snchez. She said he walked out of a meeting earlier today briefing the family members on the rescue effort after they began to express frustration with the companys approach. There was no translation for the Spanish-speaking families, she added. Three of the trapped miners are from Mexico.
The mens families are being sequestered at Canyon View Junior High School in Huntington. The entire building has now been leased by Murray Energy. The Emery County sheriffs department and company are restricting access to relatives.
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors issued 325 safety violations against Crandall Canyon since January 2004. Last month, inspectors cited them for not having at least two separate emergency escapeways.
It was the third time in less than two years the mine was cited for the same violation. Last years fine was just $60.
The conditions at Crandall Canyon are not substantially different from other mines in the area, according to miners.
From 2005 to 2006, Ved Dookhun worked at Crandall Canyons sister mine, Tower, outside of Price, Utah. They were always concerned with just getting out as much coal as they could, he said in an interview. In 2006, a longwall operator was killed at that mine when a large piece of coal struck him in the face after an explosion. Production didnt stop even when the shifts were changing.
If you were injured, youd lose your safety bonus, so a lot of workers just didnt report injuries, added Dookhun.
All but one of the 10 active mines in Utah are nonunion.
In a nonunion operation, youre restricted in what you can do to reinforce safety, Bob Butero, Region 4 director of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), said in an interview today. Under a UMWA contract, a miner has the right to remove yourself from the danger.
Alyson Kennedy and Peter Brandli contributed to this article.
***
Some of the writers of that article are miners, BTW.
Another article on a current labor development:
Minnesota: Meatpackers fight company attempt to decertify union. (http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7130Sup/7130Sup03.html)
The union was organized at Dakota Foods mostly by Latino workers. So was the sit-down which launched the organizing fight.
It's not mentioned in the article, but over the last period the company's been hiring fewer Latino workers - mostly U.S.-born workers, many of them Black. In an attempt to create divisions, basically. The newer workers don't always know what it was like in the plant before the union was organized, which partly explains how the decertification effort is even possible.
From the latest Militant (http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7130Sup/7130Sup02.html)
Utah miners, relatives speak out on unsafe conditions before cave-in
BY BILL ESTRADA AND CHRIS HOEPPNER
HUNTINGTON, Utah, August 8I dont think this was an earthquake and Im not surprised this happened, said Csar Snchez in an interview today. His brother Manuel Snchez is one of six coal miners trapped underground by a massive cave-in at the nonunion Crandall Canyon mine.
The cave-in happened at 2:48 a.m. on August 6. No communication has been established with the men, who are 3.4 miles from the mine entrance and 1,500 feet underground. As much as 2,000 feet of rock and debris are blocking rescue efforts.
The mine, also known in the area as Genwal, is located in Huntington Canyon.
In addition to Snchez, trapped miners include Kerry Allred, Luis Hernndez, Brandon Phillips, Carlos Payn, and Don Erickson. Four other miners escaped.
Miners say the company is pressuring them not to talk to anyone about what happened. Murray Energy Corp. CEO Robert Murray confirmed this at a press conference today.
But Snchezs family is speaking out. Why are they telling us not to speak to the press? asked Mara Snchez, his sister. What are they afraid of?
A Crandall Canyon miner who had worked the shift before the collapse occurred told the Militant that the company had been retreat mining. He asked to remain anonymous.
Retreat mining is considered among the most dangerous mining methods. In this procedure, after an area is mined, workers take out the last bits of coal from the pillars that hold up the roof. This causes the roof to cave in.
The company denies they were retreat mining at the time of the collapse.
This was caused by an earthquake, Murray insists. It was a natural disaster. But scientists disagree.
[A]ll of the available evidence indicates that the mine collapse itself was the earthquake, Lee Siegel, a University of Utah science news specialist, told the Associated Press.
Siegel also said that in Utahs recorded history, an earthquake has never triggered a mine collapse or a cave-in. However, there have been numerous cases where the collapse was recorded as an earthquake, he said.
If seismic activity may have instantly killed them, that is in the hands of the Lord, Murray said at a press conference yesterday.
Murray has shown that he does not care about the miners and their families, said Mara Snchez. She said he walked out of a meeting earlier today briefing the family members on the rescue effort after they began to express frustration with the companys approach. There was no translation for the Spanish-speaking families, she added. Three of the trapped miners are from Mexico.
The mens families are being sequestered at Canyon View Junior High School in Huntington. The entire building has now been leased by Murray Energy. The Emery County sheriffs department and company are restricting access to relatives.
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors issued 325 safety violations against Crandall Canyon since January 2004. Last month, inspectors cited them for not having at least two separate emergency escapeways.
It was the third time in less than two years the mine was cited for the same violation. Last years fine was just $60.
The conditions at Crandall Canyon are not substantially different from other mines in the area, according to miners.
From 2005 to 2006, Ved Dookhun worked at Crandall Canyons sister mine, Tower, outside of Price, Utah. They were always concerned with just getting out as much coal as they could, he said in an interview. In 2006, a longwall operator was killed at that mine when a large piece of coal struck him in the face after an explosion. Production didnt stop even when the shifts were changing.
If you were injured, youd lose your safety bonus, so a lot of workers just didnt report injuries, added Dookhun.
All but one of the 10 active mines in Utah are nonunion.
In a nonunion operation, youre restricted in what you can do to reinforce safety, Bob Butero, Region 4 director of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), said in an interview today. Under a UMWA contract, a miner has the right to remove yourself from the danger.
Alyson Kennedy and Peter Brandli contributed to this article.
***
Some of the writers of that article are miners, BTW.
Another article on a current labor development:
Minnesota: Meatpackers fight company attempt to decertify union. (http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7130Sup/7130Sup03.html)
The union was organized at Dakota Foods mostly by Latino workers. So was the sit-down which launched the organizing fight.
It's not mentioned in the article, but over the last period the company's been hiring fewer Latino workers - mostly U.S.-born workers, many of them Black. In an attempt to create divisions, basically. The newer workers don't always know what it was like in the plant before the union was organized, which partly explains how the decertification effort is even possible.