Figured as much...it was obvious all along to all except the brainwashed

[sup_rbeast 296]

Laid-off coal miners getting called back to their jobs; more workers to be hired

 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012 2:45 pm | Updated: 3:26 pm, Tue Nov 27, 2012.

 

Bristol Herald Courier (Tricities.com)

 

Southern Coal Corp. is recalling several hundred laid-off miners in Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia and plans to hire 650 new workers.

 

Roanoke-based Southern Coal announced Tuesday that it has entered into a multiyear contract to supply coal to American Electric Power. The contract will allow it to restart mines idled earlier this year and to save 500 jobs.

 

Southern Coal is owned by the Justice Family, which includes Jim Justice, who also owns The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

 

``We are so happy to be able to save the jobs, and hire the 650 new miners, especially at this time of the year. We hope this will make the holidays a little better for those effected,'' Jim Justice and his son, Jay Justice, said in the company's news release.

 

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin hailed Tuesday's announcement as good news for the workers and their states' economies.

 

``Today's announcement is a victory for the hard working men and women and their families in the coal counties of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. The number of jobs saved and created by this multi-year agreement will benefit our region for generations to come,'' Beshear said.

 

Tomblin said the contract means 1,700 jobs for the region, and it will have a large impact on communities' continued economic growth.

 

McDonnell said coal is an important part of Virginia's ``all of the above'' domestic energy strategy.

 

Southern Coal also has operations in Alabama and Tennessee. The company said it expects to produce 9 million tons of coal in 2013.

 

http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_8e85c44c-38c8-11e2-859c-0019bb30f31a.html

[Lance 228]

not hard to figure out when coal mines in other areas were hiring...saw every day on facebook someone posting up that there were jobs in KY and PA, and several other states.

 

If coal takes a downturn it will be industry wide, not just in VA and WV

[blueinbama 259]

This is great to hear. We were all very concerned about our loved ones being permanently out of jobs with the lack of support from the Obama administration concerning the coal industry. That's far from being brainwashed. Thank God this happened in spite of them.

[Lance 228]

This is great to hear. We were all very concerned about our loved ones being permanently out of jobs with the lack of support from the Obama administration concerning the coal industry. That's far from being brainwashed. Thank God this happened in spite of them.

 

hey, gotta take good news where you can find it...right?

[blueinbama 259]

hey, gotta take good news where you can find it...right?

 

Absolutely.

[BIGkid 18]

More great news for our area! I AM better off today than I was four years ago!

[sup_rbeast 296]

This is great to hear. We were all very concerned about our loved ones being permanently out of jobs with the lack of support from the Obama administration concerning the coal industry. That's far from being brainwashed. Thank God this happened in spite of them.

 

What it tells me is that the layoffs weren't necessary to begin with. All they were was a ploy to help the GOP to scare up votes...and a little corporate greed to boot.

[GMan 3,569]

Short term fix to a long term issue...once Obama's EPA shuts down all the coal-fired power plants by the end of 2015, they'll all be out of work and we'll all be stuck with higher power bills...

[BIGkid 18]

What it tells me is that the layoffs weren't necessary to begin with. All they were was a ploy to help the GOP to scare up votes...and a little corporate greed to boot.

 

Agreed! Even a immoral, idiotic, socialist like myself could see this was all a ploy by big business.

[bucfan64 307]

I knew that it was a vast right wing conspiracy! Apparently the brainwashed are those who refuse to take the president at his own words!

 

For the record, my and my family ARE NOT better off than we were 4 years ago!

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Why I kept harping that these layoffs were not Obama. Obama's responsible for much in the destruction of coal, but this is almost entirely inner-circle political games.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

What it tells me is that the layoffs weren't necessary to begin with. All they were was a ploy to help the GOP to scare up votes...and a little corporate greed to boot.

 

More like 100% corporate greed, despite what some people on this board might want to believe.

 

I've harped for MONTHS that many of the closures are the result of inner-circle political games that are played at the expense of those whose livelihoods depend on coal. BTW, just because you (and anyone else with half their brains tied behind their backs) could see this coming does NOT excuse people affiliated with coal for voting for Obama. His policies are devastating to the industry. It's just not the issue HERE.

[MrSocko 136]

What it tells me is that the layoffs weren't necessary to begin with. All they were was a ploy to help the GOP to scare up votes...and a little corporate greed to boot.

You are full of crap. I along with several trucking companies plus 90 men were laid off after election day. Alpha is still laying off the 1200 by Jan.,James River is currently laying mines and miners. United,mcCoy Elkhorn,Jewell is laying off some "contract mines" at the beginning of the year.

 

Southern may have been in "talks" for several months even up to a year but they are the ONLY 1 that is going to hire. I would hate to be the Human Resource Manager at Southern and have to process all the applications.

 

So, NO, it wasn't a ploy. Coal business sucked before election day and it still sucks after election day.

[parsons 178]

You are full of crap. I along with several trucking companies plus 90 men were laid off after election day. Alpha is still laying off the 1200 by Jan.,James River is currently laying mines and miners. United,mcCoy Elkhorn,Jewell is laying off some "contract mines" at the beginning of the year.

 

Southern may have been in "talks" for several months even up to a year but they are the ONLY 1 that is going to hire. I would hate to be the Human Resource Manager at Southern and have to process all the applications.

 

So, NO, it wasn't a ploy. Coal business sucked before election day and it still sucks after election day.

 

Not so fast!!! UVAObserver has been granted VIP access to all coal related entities and no doubt has first hand knowledge of how the decision to lay off those folks came about......

[sup_rbeast 296]

You are full of crap. I along with several trucking companies plus 90 men were laid off after election day. Alpha is still laying off the 1200 by Jan.,James River is currently laying mines and miners. United,mcCoy Elkhorn,Jewell is laying off some "contract mines" at the beginning of the year.

 

Southern may have been in "talks" for several months even up to a year but they are the ONLY 1 that is going to hire. I would hate to be the Human Resource Manager at Southern and have to process all the applications.

 

So, NO, it wasn't a ploy. Coal business sucked before election day and it still sucks after election day.

 

Sounds to me like Alpha's problem is good old fashioned greed. If an operator can afford 1,700 workers where 2 months ago they claimed they had to lay off 500, and can still turn a profit...then there is money to be made in coal. If not Alpha, it'll be somebody else...the same way it changed when Westmoreland left 20 years ago claiming they couldn't turn a profit mining coal in SWVA. Alpha is not the end all and be all of coal in our region...they are just another player.

[MrSocko 136]

Sounds to me like Alpha's problem is good old fashioned greed. If an operator can afford 1,700 workers where 2 months ago they claimed they had to lay off 500, and can still turn a profit...then there is money to be made in coal. If not Alpha, it'll be somebody else...the same way it changed when Westmoreland left 20 years ago claiming they couldn't turn a profit mining coal in SWVA. Alpha is not the end all and be all of coal in our region...they are just another player.

I didn't say Alpha was the leader and all else follows. Teco,United,James River,McCoy Elkhorn,and Jewell are just a few that I feel(my opinion only) didn't play politics with their employees. I do know that all have waited after the election to lay people off.

 

My Dad started trucking coal in 1960 until he died,my brother since he got out of high school, and myself since I got out of college and this is the least optimistic I've ever been since I've been around coal business.:(

 

I do hope for the sake of our community and surrounding communities that coal business will rebound.

[sup_rbeast 296]

The lack of optimism in the area is due to the artificial "job or no job" environment that the coal companies have created in an effort to get votes. It's no different than the government using the publicity surrounding acts of terror to snap the public in line and voluntary cede some of their guaranteed rights (Patriot Act). They have learned that installing fear into their workers makes it easier to take what they want and leave the worker feeling like he or she is lucky just to have a job. Most of it is due to companies wanting higher and higher profit margins...and part is due to the unwillingness of power companies to build coal fired plants with filters in the smokestacks (or retrofit what they currently have) which would enable the plants to conform to EPA regulations which have been in place for decades, but only currently escalating to the levels which were the original aims of the laws in the first place. The companies want to cut corners because it is cheaper and leaves them with a few more fistfuls of money to go with the billions they are already sitting on. Those companies could give a rats ass about their workers....they just want the political clout of their workers' votes. Their interests don't jibe with those of their employees....but, with the companies it never has and never will. Take the focus on safety for example....the company pushes that to save them from lawsuits and payouts in the event of injury or death. It's not because they fear for the safety of their workers...it because they fear the hit to their pocketbook. If they were so concerned about the workers, they would routinely monitor the health of their employees instead of trying to cut their healt plans down to a little of nothing. The best thing the coal workers in SWVA could do is organize and have some political clout of their own.

[thundercloud 179]

Curious, is the power plant below ST Paul AEP and is this where this coal is going?

[sup_rbeast 296]

Curious, is the power plant below ST Paul AEP and is this where this coal is going?

 

That's Dominion...and as far as I know they have mining operations predominately in Pennsylvania and West Virginia...and burn very little Virginia mined coal. Don't take me to task on that, but that is my understanding.

 

Here's a link to their website...if all coal fired plants were like this one, apparently they would meet or exceed EPA guidelines.

 

http://www.shawgrp.com/projects/coal/vchec

Edited November 29, 2012 by sup_rbeast

[thundercloud 179]

Was told when they test fired this plant some of the coal from strip at Bishop was trucked down there for test, which is part of the Justice operation.

[thundercloud 179]

Saw a article in Bluefield paper couple of months ago where AEP was saying it was 3 to 1 cheaper to convert a present coal plant to natural gas verus putting in the coal cleaning tech. Have fished below John Seiver Steam plant last 20 years, over the last 3 or 4 years it has been converted to natural gas. It seems money is pushing to natural gas or clean coal plants put in the plans before natural gas has grew to what it is now.

Edited November 29, 2012 by thundercloud

[bucfan64 307]

Corporate greed can be alluded to, but keep in mind, greed isn't illegal. If the market was allowed to function without so many regulations, notice I said so many- not any, the corporate greed would and could cripple a company by allowing competitors to take advantage of that weakness. A less regulated market would take care of the competition and thus prevent this type of political-backdoor layoffs.

 

With that being said, the devastation that the Obama Administration and the EPA has done to coal is irrefutable.

 

One poster mentioned the value of natural gas as opposed to coal fired power plants. Ever wonder why coal is "less of a value?" R-E-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

 

America is more or less a mixed economy and if this administration has anything to do with it we will continue to creep toward a command economy. We won't get there, but we will move closer to one in the next few years. Government is not supposed to pick winners and losers!

[BIGkid 18]

I knew that it was a vast right wing conspiracy! Apparently the brainwashed are those who refuse to take the president at his own words!

 

For the record, my and my family ARE NOT better off than we were 4 years ago!

 

Sorry to hear that, hopefully things will turn up for you. I know where your at and how it makes you feel. I am just very fortunate to being doing better now than when W was in office. I am not laying all the blame on Bush nor am I giving Obama all the credit. Hopefully we all learn to work together, give a little on our ideas and diversify our dependence on any one industry. Keep your head up, things will get better!

[sup_rbeast 296]

Corporate greed can be alluded to, but keep in mind, greed isn't illegal. If the market was allowed to function without so many regulations, notice I said so many- not any, the corporate greed would and could cripple a company by allowing competitors to take advantage of that weakness. A less regulated market would take care of the competition and thus prevent this type of political-backdoor layoffs.

 

With that being said, the devastation that the Obama Administration and the EPA has done to coal is irrefutable.

 

One poster mentioned the value of natural gas as opposed to coal fired power plants. Ever wonder why coal is "less of a value?" R-E-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

 

America is more or less a mixed economy and if this administration has anything to do with it we will continue to creep toward a command economy. We won't get there, but we will move closer to one in the next few years. Government is not supposed to pick winners and losers!

 

Never said it was illegal..just immoral. If a coal operator can turn a profit and keep workers, but instead lays the workers off because they want to turn more of a profit, it says a lot about just how much the company CARES for their workers. So, lay the blame where it belongs. Regulations have done nothing more than ensure that companies go about things in a way that is amicable to and in the best interests of the majority of the country. They don't cripple the company...but, when those who are used to getting their way suddenly don't get their way, they blame everyone but themselves, and then take their ball and go home like a spoiled brat. As far as coal goes, the Clear Skies Act is what gave natural gas the edge over coal....an act sponsored in both hoses of congress by the GOP, and pushed for Dick Cheney and signed into law by George W. Bush. It was designed to amend the Clean Air Act and use a market-based cap-and-trade approach which intends to legislate power plant emissions caps without specifying the specific methods used to reach those caps. Among its provisions (notice the years the provisions were scheduled to go into effect) (from wikipedia):

 

1- Cut SO2 emissions by 73%, from emissions of 11 million tons to a cap of 4.5 million tons in 2010, and 3 million tons in 2018.

2- Cut NOx emissions by 67%, from emissions of 5 million tons to a cap of 2.1 million tons in 2008, and to 1.7 million tons in 2018.

3- Cut mercury emissions by 69%, from emissions of 48 tons to a cap of 26 tons in 2010, and 15 tons in 2018.

4- Actual emissions caps would be set to account for different air quality needs in the East and West.

 

So, really, lay the blame where it goes.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Corporate greed can be alluded to, but keep in mind, greed isn't illegal. If the market was allowed to function without so many regulations, notice I said so many- not any, the corporate greed would and could cripple a company by allowing competitors to take advantage of that weakness. A less regulated market would take care of the competition and thus prevent this type of political-backdoor layoffs.

 

With that being said, the devastation that the Obama Administration and the EPA has done to coal is irrefutable.

 

One poster mentioned the value of natural gas as opposed to coal fired power plants. Ever wonder why coal is "less of a value?" R-E-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

 

America is more or less a mixed economy and if this administration has anything to do with it we will continue to creep toward a command economy. We won't get there, but we will move closer to one in the next few years. Government is not supposed to pick winners and losers!

 

That's a citation red herring there, partner.