{"id":540322,"date":"2010-04-22T17:39:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-22T21:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/?p=23458"},"modified":"2010-04-22T17:39:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-22T21:39:00","slug":"coal-disaster-company-massey-energy-denied-time-off-for-miners-to-attend-their-friends%e2%80%99-funerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/540322","title":{"rendered":"Coal disaster company Massey Energy denied time off for miners to attend their friends\u2019 funerals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PrayingCoal baron Don Blankenship\u2019s Massey Energy has prevented miners from attending funerals of the 29 victims of the killer explosion<\/a> at Massey\u2019s Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, WV.\u00a0\u00a0 Brad Johnson has the story in this TP repost<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Massey has taken steps to keep up the mining in the grief-stricken community. The \u201cthreat of job loss<\/a>\u201d from Massey\u2019s non-union mines, \u201cbe it spoken or simply understood \u2014 has created a culture of fear in some corners of Southern West Virginia, where coal is the only real industry, and Massey is king of the hill\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n

Massey Energy, the Virginia-based coal giant that runs the Upper Big Branch Mine, has denied time off for miners to attend their friends\u2019 funerals; has rejected makeshift memorials outside the mine site; and, in at least one case, required a worker to go on shift even though the fate of a relative \u2014 one of the victims of the April 5 disaster \u2014 remained unknown at the time<\/strong>, according to some family members and other sources familiar with those episodes. In short, the company might be taking heat for putting profits and efficiency above its workers, but it doesn\u2019t appear to have changed its tune in the wake of the worst mining tragedy in 40 years.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThey told my husband, \u2018You\u2019ve got a job to do and you\u2019re gonna do it<\/a>,\u2019\u201d the wife of one Massey miner told the Washington Independent\u2019s Mike Lillis, referring to the funerals he\u2019s missed this month for friends who died in the blast. \u201cWhat else are we gonna do?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>Massey’s board has hired a politically influential Texas public relations firm<\/a> to manage the increasing criticism for putting coal profits above principles<\/a>.<\/div>\n
Update<\/span>: \u00a0 Massey spokesman Troy Andes tells the Washington Independent: “We know of no instances<\/a> when miners were denied a request to attend a funeral.\u201d<\/div>\n
Related Posts:<\/div>\n
\n