Don Blankenship article
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You sound like WVPATX, scared to read something not put out by Breitbart. Perhaps you could get someone to read the article to you then you'd know.
Thanks for sharing! That's a great article! I remember a lot of what he documents from the 80s. Very tough times. And what is very concerning is we have just put a bunch of numbskulls in the state legislature that are repealing many of those safety regulations and are making WV a right-to-work state and attempting to lower the prevailing wage.
What is wrong with allowing someone to opt out of union if they don't want to be in it? Why would you force someone to belong to something just so they can work and provide for their family? That is an absurd notion.
Then why bring it into the discussion?
We can debate the wage scale law (which just had new rates finally published this week) or the right to work laws (which will be proposed this coming sesssion) but they have zero to do with the Blankenship, his criminality and mine safety.
The right to work is here in Va. I doubt that the wages are lower here but I be the chance to work is better in Va. Union's had their usefulness but, for the most part, they don't anymore. What really brings down the wages is an larger number of workers chasing too few jobs. That's a by product of cap and trade, war on coal and illegal immigration. I doubt if too many immigrants want to work in the coal fields. That's one thing I haven't heard about. Do illegals work in the coal industry?
Because it's part of the "let's crush the Unions" mentality. Did you even read the article? Crush the unions, get the safety regs out of the way, lower their wages, treat the miners like dogs... And for those that say there is no need for unions, they are the reason for many safety laws in this country. They are the reason for the 40 hour work week and on and on. You might say, we don't need them now because of these laws. This article provides an example of the corruption and lack of enforcement of those laws.
Where there are unions, UAW,UMW, there has always been corruption. Where's there is big money, there is always corruption. Enforcement of laws though, is a no brainer. Of course, our president is guilty of that too. Do you feel the same way about his selectiveness?
Time has passed you by. Unions are in the shape they are in because of political zealots like you. Refresh my memory, what Union were or are you a member of?
Wage scale laws and Right To Work laws are more about economic expansion and improvement than "let's crush the unions".
However, Unions have had PLENTY of power in this state for decades and what do we have to show for it economically? We've been without a wage scale since July 1st, and the sky is still up there.
Now, if you want to discuss mine safety... then let's, but it seems you're trying to demonize Republicans in the state based off of the union rally cries.
Support for him still seems to be there. Operators at the time wanted Don to take care of business behind closed doors and not be arrogant and raise opposition to the industry.
Don had accumulated some wealth and he became strong enough to redirect against those politicians who had a personal grudge against him and in absolute support of unionism. The man that, he perceived as the worst enemy to business climate, he confronted directly and had him removed from office was the brother from Pineville. Don was the only one who engineered his removal, and WV is no longer considered pro-union/anti-business. Outside businesses are now at least looking at the state as a potential location. You can make up your own mind whether that is good or bad.
- Former Member of UAW Local in Louisiana Pleads Guilty
- AFGE Local Bosses in Minnesota Charged with Theft
- Pennsylvania Teachers Official Pleads Guilty to Thefts; Sentenced
- Ironworkers Bookkeeper in Illinois Charged with Records Fraud
- New Hampshire Power Plant Security Officers President Charged
- Virginia Police Officers Charged with Embezzling from Union
- Secretary-Treasurer of Metro Phoenix Transit Union Sentenced
- AFGE Local President in Maine Charged with Records Fraud
- American Allied Workers Local President in Illinois Charged
- Teamster President in Louisville Pleads Guilty to Thefts
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I worked UMWA, and accountant/corp officer, and operator in the coal business in WV. This Mother Jones piece is consistent with previous offerings that were pro-union and anti-business. Of course there is some basis for the article, but it definitely has a bias against Don Blankenship.
- Utility Workers President in Western Pennsylvania Sentenced
- Detroit CWA Vice President Charged with Embezzlement
- Buffalo Public Employees Officials Plead Guilty to Thefts
- Michigan Postal Workers President Charged with Embezzlement
- Machinists Local Secretary-Treasurer in Illinois Charged
- Plumbers Local Secretary in Ohio Indicted for Theft, Records Fraud
- Ohio Carpenters Secretary Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
- BLET Secretary in West Virginia Sentenced for Embezzlement
- Autoworkers Secretary-Treasurer in Wisconsin Charged with Theft
- Laborers Bookkeeper in Southern Illinois Pleads Guilty to Theft
- Memphis Bakery & Tobacco Workers President Sentenced
- Transportation Union Secretary in Washington State Sentenced
- Three NYC Union Bosses Charged in 1M+ Kickback and Embezzlement Scheme
- Indiana AFGE Local President Sentenced for Theft
- Michigan Carpenters Council Comptroller Charged with $500K Theft
- AFSCME Home Care Workers President in New York Sentenced
- Boston Ex-Teamster Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Fraud
LMAO.....need any more "examples" of "corruption" by your Union friends...... all good examples (just from the last couple months) of good Democrats toeing the party line. And you wonder why I call you an Idiot. Your are nothing more than a close-minded intolerant hypocrite.
Truthfully, I myself don't have an opinion on that particular subject either way for the purpose of my original question; though I admit to falling out on the side that considers Blankenship.....how should I say this.....to be something other than a "good guy" based on the little I knew about him from a distance. I'd also be a liar if I tried to convince folks my opinion about him was not colored by this tragedy,
Anyway, I appreciate your perspective.....I was not aware he'd become a political influence-peddler, though I suppose it's hardly surprising given his professional position and comparative power base.
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In 1998, Harman Mining Company president Hugh Caperton filed a lawsuit against A.T. Massey Coal Company alleging that Massey fraudulently canceled a coal supply contract with Harman Mining, resulting in its going out of business. In August 2002, a Boone County, West Virginia jury found in favor of Caperton and awarded $50 million in damages.[1]
While the case was awaiting hearing in the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, A.T. Massey's Chief Executive Officer, Don Blankenship, became involved in the election campaign pitting incumbent Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw against Charleston lawyer Brent Benjamin. Blankenship created a non-profit corporation called "And for the Sake of the Kids" in order to force McGraw off the court and replace him with Benjamin[2] through which he contributed over $3 million in Benjamin's behalf, an amount which, if it had been contributed directly to his campaign, was about 3,000 times the maximum permissible direct contribution to an election campaign.[2] This amounted to more than the total amount spent by all other Benjamin supporters and Benjamin's own campaign committee,[3]
In 2007, when the case came before the West Virginia Supreme Court, Caperton petitioned for Justice Benjamin to recuse himself because of Blankenship's contributions during the campaign. Benjamin declined and was ultimately part of the 3 to 2 majority that overturned the $50 million verdict.
(John Grisham wrote a novel (The Appeal) about this.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caperton_v._A.T._Massey_Coal_Co.
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Is there not more to the ending of this story? Like who had jurisdiction to the case? What was the amount Va allowed as a fair settlement? And, I think Don protested. I don't remember how this ended up, but some in the industry thought this might be fair to just put a stop to the ongoing coverage. There may have been a settlement within the past couple years, maybe.