This Monday, many in the United States celebrated Labor Day. The organized labor movement is controversial with many in the US, given its siding (for the most part) with labor over capital. I recently read a sobering book on the No.9 Mine in Farmington, West Virginia, the site of a major occupational disaster on November 20, 1968, that killed 78 miners. The events in Farmington provide a clear example as to why the labor movement arose, and it provided the impetus for more serious regulation of the mining industry at the federal level.
Bonnie Stewart was the author of the book on No.9: The 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster, and she relied partially on interviews with survivors and the families of the dead, along with official reports from government investigations and the company records. The events of November 20, 1968, were not the first time that the mine exploded. A similar event occurred in 1954, but the number of deaths was much lower (16) because of a smaller Sunday workforce. However, it was clear that the company (Consol) ignored safety precautions because slowdowns or shutdowns of production hurt the bottom line. Indeed, there were concerns in the days leading up to the explosion that dust and gas levels in the mine were dangerous. Additionally, the company rigged breakers to keep production up when gas levels supposed to cut power to the mine.
There is sometimes a belief that companies will do the right thing, and some (perhaps many) will. However, Consol did not. Safe levels of methane and coal dust were a known factor, and the company decided not to follow safety recommendations in the pursuit of more profits. There was also some evidence that people with ties to the company might have forged some of the log books related to fire boss inspections on the night of the disaster. Because the company would not regulate itself, the US government stepped in with the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act.
The actions of the company reminded me of an article I read on Don Blankenship and the Upper Big Branch disaster at the Massey Energy mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, in 2010. Blankenship's mine attempted to dodge federal inspectors, and bosses told men to "run coal" despite dangerous conditions, which shows that the love of money can lead to many evil outcomes. For his part, Blankenship served a year in jail before running for the US Senate in 2018. Disasters like those at Farmington and Upper Big Branch provide clear evidence that labor organizations and governmental regulators are necessary to protect the interests of laborers from the desire to make another dollar at any cost.
