R
rdean
Guest
That's a very good question, Willow. If the workers had been unionized, the collective bargaining agreement would have allowed the workers to categorically refuse to work in an unsafe area without being in fear of losing their jobs. I know a bit about the coal and area history of this conflict in VA, KY, WV, TN, and NC. Massey, Peabody, and other coal companies have massively resisted unionization, yet have failed to address such safety conditions.
My heart is with the miners' families.
so here's my next question. coal mining is something I know little about, I know it's hard dangerous dirty work.. can these families sue the pants off this company? I hope they do.
Yes, the workers' families can and probably will sue. If discovery can document that the Massey execs knew without a doubt of the danger and elected to do nothing, then criminal charges up to murder can be considered by a district attorney's office. I doubt very much that the latter will happen.
They probably won't be able too. "Voluntary Compliance" legally moves the responsibility from the company to the worker. Besides, if such a case went all the way to the Supreme Court, could you see Roberts and Scalia and Thomas on the side of the miners? Or the Companies?