Miners speak on safety violations at Upper Big Branch Mine

Coal miners spoke to the World Socialist Web Site on Friday about safety violations at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. They said that the mine's operator routinely disregard safety rules, and denounced regulators for failing to punish the company.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• West Virginia
• Mine
• WSWS
• explosion
• Massey

[jsworld06]

This is the only footage I have seen that provides a voice to the mineworkers. The reality they describe is vastly different from the situation described by the major news networks and the Obama Administration.

[cymry2008]

Brother, it wouldn't matter if you had a Union or not because the Unions have been infiltrated by corporate thugs. The democrats will not save the working man because the politicians have sold their souls to the corporations. The tactics of the soul-crushing United Fruit Company and the bloodsucking Company Stores are making a strong comeback here in the United States.

[gael638]

@katiebear10116 You should be proud of him katiebear he speaks the truth. I am a coal miners daughter, I lost my bro in a mine explosion here in New Zealand last year too. In a sad twist we also lost 29 men.The saddest thing of all is that $ seems to so often come before souls in this business. Seems to be the way it's always been and sadly the way it will probably always be around the world.

[Ms2blackcats]

I have nothing against coal mining. Some of my best friends are West Virginia coal miners. But it is so sad that these people are paying the price for their mountaineer great great grandparents innocence in not realizing what the speculators were doing to them . Sending down what these poor people thought were just good old boys telling funny stories and admiring their farms. The mineral buyer!!! That is beyond sad. Jeez!.

[katiebear10116]

My father is the man at the end of the video wearing the Marshall hat and I couldn't be more proud of him for speaking up. His father was killed in the coal mines before I was born and the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion really hit home with him. It was really hard on him and he lost a few friends in the explosion. I have never heard him express himself so clearly before. I think he done a great job! I love you daddy!!! I will always be your little girl!!!!

[1975bocephus]

the government needs to quit trying to ban coal mining and put a little more effort out in helping the mines become safer if all the fines from MSHA were put back into coal mining we prob would have gold streetsbut when a coal mines gets violation for there outside port-o- john being dirty

[1975bocephus]

for the sorry bastard at the start of film just because your to lazzy to work in the mines you dont have to down coal mining people have a choice to work in the mines if you dont like how your being treated find a new job

[BASS01100]

The guy in the Marshall hat really puts all of this into perspective. I am a former miner and I am NOT proud of it. I am NOT proud of the way these coal operators have taken a valued way of living and working in Appalachia and have stuck their tentacles into the lifeblood of our state and have sucked it dry, abused it's people and its resources and then covered their own butts when their greed caused the deaths of innocents. The WV coal industry is evil and satan is CEO of the whole thing.

[1canyonguy]

@eers2ya FK up the FK

[eers2ya]

FK Don Blankenship

[NSCOALDRAG]

These companies have never cared they just want more coal. If they cared Black Lung would be easy to get instead they fight you over tryng to get it.

[fpyout]

if you employ adults and aren't paying them a livable wage under standard working hours (40 hrs / wk) then you shouldn't be running a business. They all should have manned up and walked out and went to the funerals. This is why you shouldn't ever dig yourself into a financial trap. Because then you become a slave to your employer.