Vol. 72/No. 29      July 21, 2008

And it was known for its owners' flagrant violations of mine safety laws.

An article in the July 4 Washington Post titled "Federal Officials Warned by UMW Before Virginia Coal Mine Disaster" traced the efforts by the union to get the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to force Clinchfield to obey mine safety regulations—to no avail.  
 
July 21, 1958
The rose-tinted glasses through which President Eisenhower's top advisors view the economic situation were focused this week on "upturns" and on optimism. While the capitalist politicians maneuver for votes, the working people face continued unemployment, short workweeks and rising prices.

The July 8 official report on unemployment shows a rise to 5,437,000—highest unemployment since 1941. But even these gloomy figures have been presented in an "optimistic" light. Economists had predicted six million unemployed where-as there are "only" 5 1/2 million! In addition to the 5 1/2 million officially jobless, there are millions partially employed.  
 
July 22, 1933
The fierce attack upon the living standard of the workers, which the American capitalists are making under the cover of Roosevelt's Industrial Recovery Act, becomes more openly vicious with each new code.

In the code, "minimum" hourly wages range from 25 to 40 cents for different territories. Assuming workers are employed a full 40 hours a week, this means wages from 10 to 16 dollars a week. Since the dollar is down 25 percent and more on the international exchange and prices are skyrocketing, these wages at present really are worth from $7.50 to $12, and when inflation really gets underway they will amount to even less. The steel workers shall not have a standard of living; they shall have a standard of starvation.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home