Mine workers locking out union

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 2/5/2006 | Mike Wereschagin

[wjersey]

After the blast of hot air roared over him, Denver Anderson groped blindly through suffocating clouds of smoke to make his way out of the Sago Mine in West Virginia.

Twelve of his co-workers died two miles down the shaft in the Jan. 2 explosion. Another, Randal McCloy Jr., is slowly recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Now, all Anderson wants to do is get back in. But he's worried the United Mine Workers of America will get in his way.

Once the nation's largest and most powerful labor union -- a political and social juggernaut capable of swaying presidents and setting national priorities -- the UMWA has shrunk to a sliver of its former self. Though still fiery when it comes to miners' conflicts with coal companies, the union has lost strength to changing national attitudes toward organized labor, mechanization and the proliferation of small mining operations that abhor unionization.

Some miners say they don't want to bother with the union anymore.

[wjersey]

It's getting to the point where the only union jobs will be in the government -- too bad for us tax payers.

[Tzimisce]

Yeah, well most labor unions in 2006 are concerned with fighting the war in Iraq, keeping abortion legal and getting John Kerry elected, and other employment concerns of your average blue collar worker.

[sgtbono2002]

Maybe the Union dues are too expensive.

[ronnied]

i think we just solved the problem of illegal immigration ... sarc

[McGavin999]

Why should people be forced to contribute to the DNC? After all, that's all the unions seem to do anymore. Take your money, pour it out by the bucketful to democrat politicians, and do absolutely NOTHING for the worker except call strikes every once in awhile.

As the UAW workers up in Ford and GM country how they feel about their unions about now.

[Pittsburg Phil]

As soon as the GOP finds the backbone to pass federal right-to-work legislation, unions - including those of government wor... er, employees - will be gone.

[USN40VET]

Even MSHA Inspectors are unionized. I have not seen this mentioned in the various discussions about MSHA effectiveness.

[tiki]

The miners unionized here a few years ago so the mines just shut down. They have now reopened with a much smaller force using a new technology to leach metals from the tailings.

[DUMBGRUNT]

All about union mines and not a word on Richard Trumka?