The following is a surprising editorial from the very left wing Charleston Gazette, in Charleston, WV.....
FOR YEARS, some coal corporations have talked of bringing low-cost miners from Mexico, where diggers earn $75 a week, to replace $1,000-a-week U.S. miners. Observers have commented that America would be less disturbed by mine tragedies if the victims were unfamiliar foreigners.
Last year, a labor broker asked the Kentucky Mining Board for permission to import 1,000 Mexican and Chilean miners. The pretext given was that Kentucky miners are “on drugs and don’t work hard” — but the real reason was because the aliens would work for a small fraction of U.S. pay. Reportedly, the plan faltered because the Hispanics couldn’t pass Kentucky’s English-only mine exam.
Ever since, elusive reports of immigrant workers in Appalachian mines have surfaced. And now, a Boone County tragedy has spotlighted the issue. An illegal alien using a fake Green Card and other phony credentials was working for a Milwaukee contractor repairing equipment at West Virginia mines — until the immigrant was charged with a drunken driving wreck that killed a 4-year-old boy. A second Hispanic mine worker later was accused of drag-racing with the first.
Employees of such out-of-state contractors aren’t required to pass West Virginia’s English-language written test for deep and surface miners. The United Mine Workers union is worried that more such aliens may be entering the Mountain State to work for below-poverty wages.
State officials should investigate to learn whether there’s an influx of low-cost foreigners — especially aliens using false papers. Meanwhile, rules should be changed, requiring contract employees to pass the same exams as other coal mine workers.
ping
Not surprised. Even if Mexican miners die in an accident--they're still human beings. It's all about the pay scale.
its the same story in every industry - and its destroying the US private sector middle class.
I live in Boone County, and Ive been seeing this coming for about two years. No one wanted to acknowledge it until August 30, when Tyler Evans was killed by Christian Javier Sanchez-Rubio and Marvin Navarro.
Now people seem to be taking note, and wondering why all of a sudden there are people working at the mine sites around here who cannot speak a lick of English.
The body of the letter states simply: Round'em up Heard'em south!
Will they or their heirs be able to sue if they are injured or killed due to mine owners negligence?