It has to start somewhere.

What if---this latest mine tragedy in West Virginia was the "straw that broke the camel's back"?

What if---most union and non-union miners "turned over the water can" and walked out?

What if---NO COAL was produced in this country for a protracted period of time?

What if---other unions and all conscientious citizens honored all miner picket lines outside all coal users?

What if---other unions and all conscientious citizens donated to a miner's strike fund to support them in their fight for safe, government regulated, union mines?

What if---a revitalized UMW was just the beginning of a union-led middle class resurgence?

What if---the return of prosperity to working class America precipitated a return to a moral democracy; to government of, by and for THE PEOPLE?


Can't you just SEE the Republican heads exploding?

And yes labor disasters in the past have led to outrage that leads to some reform.

Hell, we have had ... almost open warfare in Coal Country...

And What Side are you On, is about that, and Harlan County.

The BF is more in favor of vigilante justice, which he says is probably more likely actually to happen.

My plan is a bit more extensive, slightly more complicated, but might have much wider effect.

1. Shut down all Massey Energy operations effective immediately.
2. Freeze all Massey Energy corporate assets.
3. Freeze all personal assets of all Massey Energy directors, executives, and senior managers.

4. Pay miners their usual wages out of the corporate and then personal assets siezed above. (Pay directors nothing, pay executives and senior managers apprentice miner's wages.)

5. Inspect all Massey Energy operations for safety violations.
6. Use siezed assets above to bring all Massey Energy operations into full MSHA compliance.

7. After all operations meet full MSHA requirements, allow operations to resume.
8. 50% of net income from Massey Energy operations -- and 100% of any non-operating income -- to be put into solar installations to begin generating electricity with the objective of phasing out ALL coal mining.

Of course, it'll never happen. But it won't be for lack of ideas.


TG

and massive organizing... but then again I am also dreaming, given the history of not just Massey, but other energy companies in that area of the country.

I rec'd the OP.

K&R

EFCA NOW...because it is the "Democratic" thing to do.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

As the husband of a former Union Shop President (over 2,000 members) i know how effective Union membership can be. I've never held a Union job, but i've made attempts at Unionizing various workplaces... which never endeared me to my bosses. Someday, i hope...

:)

My father was union, I was never able to do so.
Thanks
To add,
Dad was Union Paper Mill worker.
There were no jobs when I came of age so I left to seek my fortune elsehwere (gay in WV was not an option) and landed in antiunion states. Perhaps I could have gone North, but by the time of RunnyRaygyn the only option I could see at the time was to join the services, and got outed. He could not have gotten a gay son in the papermill union. '

I still wish to hear that all those miners were coming home though, I still hope the last 4 will.