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Friends of America Labor day rally WV
- Thread starter tinytim
- Start date
Tiny, do you know the song from the coal wars in WV that is entitled "I am a union man"? I have not been able to find the words to the song. I heard an elderly coal miners sing it years ago.
If ever a groups needed a union it was the coal miners back in the late 19th and early 20th century. Between company housing, company stores, company script a miner's soul was owned and abused by the big coal companies.
My grandfather died of Black Lung Disease from working in the mines.
If ever a groups needed a union it was the coal miners back in the late 19th and early 20th century. Between company housing, company stores, company script a miner's soul was owned and abused by the big coal companies.
My grandfather died of Black Lung Disease from working in the mines.
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Robert Snow
New Member
I just listened a bit and the speaker was talking about the governmental assault on coal mining.
I believe the complaint is that their jobs are being threatened. Yet, when it is mentioned that my job, as a machinist is being threatened because of companies moving to China or Mexico, I am told this is just "free trade" and the way of the future.
It seem like job protection is only important when it is your job being threatened.
I say, let's develop clean burning coal, and also introduce some tariffs to make the playing field level. I believe the USA can compete if the game is played fairly. We cannot, however, compete against dirt cheap labor rates paid by third world countries.
I believe the complaint is that their jobs are being threatened. Yet, when it is mentioned that my job, as a machinist is being threatened because of companies moving to China or Mexico, I am told this is just "free trade" and the way of the future.
It seem like job protection is only important when it is your job being threatened.
I say, let's develop clean burning coal, and also introduce some tariffs to make the playing field level. I believe the USA can compete if the game is played fairly. We cannot, however, compete against dirt cheap labor rates paid by third world countries.
Then you need to support those issues that will stop companies from wanting to go overseas. We are never going to be able to compete if every other country can outbid or under sell us. Clean coal is fine but sacrificing one for the other is not going to make us competitive or even help you keep your machinist job. One has nothing to do with the other.
OldRegular
Well-Known Member
For once we agree on something!:thumbs:
Mining was always a dangerous business and still is. The mine workers needed a union in Appalachia during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century. There was much violence associated with the establishment of the Mine Workers Union. As far as I am concerned John L. Lewis was the last honest union president. He never fought against the modernization of the mining industry. There are probably less than 10% of the miners now than pre WWII.
Robert Snow
New Member
How can we compete with $5 or $10 a day labor? Even the machine shop I work for gets 40 or 50 percent of it's work done in China.