Another coal miner died underground in the Long Branch Energy No. 18 Mine near Danville, West Virginia, after a wall support collapsed, reported the Associated Press. This mine is organized by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).

“I can confirm that we have had accidents at three separate coal mines, two underground mines and one surface mine that have resulted in two fatalities,” West Virginia governor Joseph Manchin told the press in a news conference this afternoon.

According to Reuters, the third incident occurred in Kanawha County at a Kanawha Eagle Coal Company mine that resulted in injuries but no deaths.

“As the result of these three incidents, all of which occurred within just the last few hours, I am calling on the industry to cease production activities immediately and go into a Mine Safety Stand Down,” Manchin said. “This means that starting with the current shift, and each new shift after that, the mine companies, supervisors, and the miners themselves are to engage in a thorough review of safety procedures before any work is to continue.”

“There have now been 18 coal miners killed in the United States in the first 32 days of 2006,” said UMWA president Cecil Roberts, in a press release today. “That’s outrageous, and we must take all steps necessary to look at the condition of the coal mines right now, so as to identify any potential problems and act on them before they cause an accident that could add to this tragic toll.”

Roberts said the UMWA supports Manchin’s call for a “safety stand down.” He added that the union has ordered all UMWA safety committees to undertake a meticulous inspection of their mines. “At nonunion mines, that means the Governor will have to rely on the word of the operator that the mine has carried out his directive,” Roberts said. “The UMWA will be taking that a step further at union mines with the order for a full safety inspection.”

If the bosses at unionized mines do not cooperate with the inspection, “the union will consider taking further action under the authority of the union’s collective bargaining agreements with the operators,” the UMWA press release said.
 
 
Related articles:
Boss contempt for safety kills coal miner in Utah
Worker dies after blowout of coal face underground
Int’l Coal Group forced to allow UMWA officials into W. Virginia mine for Sago disaster investigation
Canada potash miners survive underground fire
Unionists support labor defense case
Miners, other workers snap up the ‘Militant’
Company greed killed coal miners in Utah
21 years since Wilberg mine disaster; how Emery Mining Corp. tried to hide facts
No ‘freak accidents’
Court dismisses Massey defamation suit  
 
 
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