Coal Workers Say Murray Energy ‘Coerces’ Them To Make GOP Donations

[Lakhota]

‘If You Don’t Contribute, Your Job’s At Stake’

By Stephen Lacey

“You’ve got a great boss,” Mitt Romney proclaimed to a crowd of coal miners at a campaign rally in August.

He was referring to Robert Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy, one of the largest coal mining operators in the country.

For Romney, that statement was particularly true. According to accounts from multiple coal miners, employees were forced to attend the event without pay. “Just for the record, if we did not go, we knew what would happen,” said one miner in a letter to a local radio station. Weeks later, Romney’s campaign featured images of the coal miners in a pro-coal ad. (The Obama campaign hit back this week with an ad claiming Romney used coal workers as “props”).

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. An expose from New Republic Senior Editor Alec MacGillis shows that Murray Energy is doing far more than requiring employees to spend uncompensated time at campaign events — the company is actually requiring them to donate to GOP candidates like Romney:

More (w/supporting links): Coal Workers Say Murray Energy ‘Coerces’ Them To Make GOP Donations: ‘If You Don’t Contribute, Your Job’s At Stake’

Coal Miner’s Donor: A Mitt Romney benefactor and his surprisingly generous employees.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry....what's the mystery?

 

[Leweman]

So it's like being in a union?

 

[Lakhota]

So it's like being in a union?

Do you have any "credible" links showing that unions coerce workers to make democrat donations?

 

[xsited1]

So it's like being in a union?

Do you have any "credible" links showing that unions coerce workers to make democrat donations?

They don't need to coerce workers. You either join a union or you lose your job. And when you join a union your dues will contribute to the campaigns of Democrats.

Obama called for bankrupting coal fired power plants and he's the POTUS. It sounds like the company is just trying to survive.

 

[Lakhota]

So it's like being in a union?

Do you have any "credible" links showing that unions coerce workers to make democrat donations?

They don't need to coerce workers. You either join a union or you lose your job. And when you join a union your dues will contribute to the campaigns of Democrats.

Obama called for bankrupting coal fired power plants and he's the POTUS. It sounds like the company is just trying to survive.

Gee, are you saying that unions support the party that supports unions?