[Marxism] An Open Letter to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) at: http://www.umwa.org/email.shtml By Bonnie Weinstein, Socialist Viewpoint

[Bonnie Weinstein <giobon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

An Open Letter to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) at:
http://www.umwa.org/email.shtml
By Bonnie Weinstein, Socialist Viewpoint
www.socialistviewpoint.org
March 2, 2006

RE: U.S. Is Reducing Safety Penalties for Mine Flaws
By IAN URBINA and ANDREW W. LEHREN
March 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02mine.html?hp&ex=1141362000&en=1
6f66ee262e5d96b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Dear UMWA,

I felt compelled to write this letter to you when I read
the front-page article in the New York Times listed above.

My mother was born and raised in Kentucky and I grew up
hearing about the courage of mine workers all my life. So,
I have been following the news stories about mine disasters.

I wrote an article for Socialist Viewpoint (I am on the Editorial
Board of the magazine) on the 2002 Quecreek mine disaster that,
fortunately, turned out much more positively than the recent
terrible outcomes. Here is a link to that article.

Down in the Quecreek Mines
By Bonnie Weinstein
http://socialistviewpoint.org/sept_02/sept_02_14.html


In my opinion, in light of the NYTs article that exposes the lack
of enforcement against mine owners for their blatant disregard
for the safety of mine workers, the American labor movement
should look at these recent deaths as murder in the first degree
--and, along with mine owners, the entire U.S. government
should be charged with the crime for allowing this situation
to continue.

I am 61 years-old. I remember when San Francisco was
a "union town" and proud of it when I came here in 1966.
And, before that I was born and raised in Brooklyn,
New York--another "union town."

That meant that the pay was decent--even in non-union jobs!
See, when union workers get paid well, that forces the non-union
employers to have to compete a little more. It also has other
effects on the lives of workers. A town with a high percentage
of union workers tends to have lower rents or at least some
rent-control laws and more affordable housing. Such labor
communities also tend to have better schools, etc. because
bosses and landlords know that there is a force out there
that can unite and fight and be very effective!

That's the kind of competition we want to have occur
in the labor movement. Not a race to the bottom through
concession after concession! But to turn the tides and
begin a race to the top for all workers, victory after victory!

The NYT article shows that this government is in cooperation
only with the bosses and are waging a new offensive in their war
against workers.

It's time for the labor leaders of this country to stand up
in unison and say "enough is enough!" The refusal of the
mine owners to comply with the safety rules and the
Federal Government's blatant refusal to force the owners
to comply with these rules, or even to collect the fines against
the violation of these rules, will not be tolerated! We will
not send the children who want to follow in their father's
footsteps back down into the mines, to risk the same
danger their father's faced, for minimum wage and a deadly
work environment, while the mine owners and the government
that represents only them, gets away with murder, and as the
industry rakes in record profits off those very lives of the fallen?

Are we going to stand by and watch with sorry expressions
on our faces as more die in preventable disasters in all
workplaces; are we going to stand by while
tens of thousands of auto workers get thrown
to the wolves after years of dedication and hard work?
They are going to loose their lives as they knew it!

Are we going to force the top tiers to continue to devour
both their children just joining the work force and their retired
parents in order for "some" to keep their own jobs and
meager, if any, benefits?

We need to go back to the tactics that worked for workers
in the '30s. Some of the Auto Workers are talking about this
need quite eloquently. Here is a link to their sites:

http://futureoftheunion.com/

http://www.soldiersofsolidarity.com/

Work to Rule

They have a concept of "Work to Rule" that could be very
effective in the mines. Simply, workers follow all
the safety rules, which  builds confidence in the worker's
ability to have control, not only over their own safety on
the job, but, in their ability to act effectively in their
own defense on all fronts, throughout all industry,
through unity of purpose and solidarity in action.

I know that I'm nobody or worse, a socialist. But I was raised
to respect all those who toil to provide all the things that we
have--our cars, houses, the factories themselves--and to
respect workers--not the bosses, who contribute nothing
to production, except figuring out different ways to rob
workers and to increase profits.

Workers have both the knowledge and the knowhow to carry
out production all on their own--more safely and more
efficiently--if left to their own devices and for their
mutual benefit.

Something's got to give. It can't and won't stay as it is. Union
representation is a third of what it was in the 1950s in the
American work force.

We are going back to the dark ages!
It's time for the American labor movement
to see the light! Unite and Fight!

In solidarity,

Bonnie Weinstein
www.socialistviewpoint.org

P.S. There is more information about "Work to Rule"
in our latest issue at:  www.socialistviewpoint.org

We will continue our coverage of all worker's issues.
Contact us for a free sample of our magazine at:
socialistviewpoint@xxxxxxxxxxx


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