What coal miners need

Two more coal miners have died in West Virginia, bringing the total killed for the month of January to 14 in that one state.

The first 12 were killed when methane gas exploded at the Sago mine, owned by the International Coal Group. It was the deadliest coal accident in the state since 1968. The next two died after a fire in a mine owned by the Aracoma Coal Co.

A coal miner also died in Kentucky in January. Grieving families waiting for news of their loved ones have become a common sight again.

Government hearings on mine safety have now brought out details about the paltry fines levied on companies that violate health and safety regulations. In one case, after 13 miners were killed in Brookwood, Ala., in 2001, the mine operator appealed a fine of $435,000 and got it reduced to $3,000—less than $250 per miner killed.

The Sago mine was cited for 208 safety violations last year. The recent deaths may lead to some tightening up of regulations, which have been watered down recently. But the mining companies routinely violate the regulations that already exist. Will they act any better toward new ones?

Little attention has been paid in the media to the fact that the two mines in West Virginia were both non-union, where the workers have no power to halt production when they believe conditions to be unsafe. Even complaining can make workers vulnerable when there’s no union at their back.

Half the power in the U.S. is generated by burning coal. The demand for coal has accelerated as higher oil prices have made it more competitive. Coal production—and the profits of the capitalist mine owners—have been rising steadily in recent years. Old mines have been reopened to meet the demand.

This is a prescription for more disasters—unless the workers themselves are empowered through union organization and support from the general labor movement.