The recent tragic coal mining deaths at the Sago Mine in West Virginia are a stark reminder of why labor unions are good for workers.
It was the grand chieftain of the United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis, who brought hope to miners and industrial workers in the 1930s and 1940s. Thanks to Lewis and countless others, workers were given a voice and efforts were made to improve an industry with a tragic history.
The Sago mine had 273 safety violations in the last two years, a third classified as "significant and substantial" by the federal Mine and Safety Administration.
union workplaces. However, union workers, particularly apprenticeship graduates, are trained in safety procedures. Union workers are trained to identify unsafe and hazardous conditions and then proceed only after appropriate measures have been reinforced.
More importantly, union workers are taught to stand up for their rights. If a union worker sees an unsafe situation, usually they can refuse it. They can call their union representative for support.
Most union work places have joint labor-management safety committees to help ensure everyone goes home a whole person at workday's end. In a non-union workplace, the boss can say, “If you don't like it, you can quit.” When faced with an unsafe situation, a union worker has a voice.
We all mourn the West Virginia miners. It is a chilling reminder of the thousands that die in this country annually in work-related accidents - not only in mines, but also in the meat-packing plants, factories and construction sites.
Workers need training, workers need vigilance and most especially, they need a voice on the job that can speak as an equal to management - and that's where having a union makes a difference.
David Penn
Bloomington
The writer is business manager, Laborers Local 362.
