[NYTr] CrandallCanyon Mine Owner Murray: Nuts Over A Talking Squirrel

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven Robinson (activ-l)

AFL-CIO Weblog  - Aug 11, 2007
http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/11/crandall-canyon-mine-owner-murray-nuts-over-talking-squirrel/

Crandall Canyon Mine Owner Murray: Nuts Over A Talking Squirrel

by Mike Hall

If you've been following the news about the six Utah coal miners trapped
nearly a week ago in the collapse at the Crandall Canyon Mine near
Huntington, you've seen Robert Murray.

The CEO of Murray Energy, the parent company of Utah American, which
runs the nonunion mine, has found the camera's spotlight, seemingly
whenever it's been shining at the disaster site. Murray has also used
the spotlight to:

Deny reports that a type of mining called retreat mining, that many
safety experts warn adds danger to an already dangerous underground
workplace, was being used at the Utah mine. But federal safety
officials confirm retreat mining has been used at Crandall Creek.

Dispute scientists who say that seismographic readings at the time of
the collapse came from the magnitude of the collapse, not an earthquake
that caused the collapse.

Attack reporters and accuse them of posing questions provided by the
Mine Workers (UMWA). Rant against the UMWA and its leaders, saying the
union wants organize his workforce and "want to damage Murray Energy,
Utah American and the United States coal industry for their own
motives."

It's not the first time Murray has drawn down on the UMWA. The
relationship between Murray and the UMWA goes back to1988 when Murray
purchased an Ohio coal mine that came with a 300-strong
UMWA-represented workforce.

A 2001 UMWA Journal cover story-"Promises Made, Promises Broken;
Exposing the Real Robert Murray" chronicles the relationship between
the union and an increasing volatile and hostile Murray. It was a
relationship that began somewhat cordially and ended up in court and
before the National Labor Relations Board. 
<http://www.umwa.org/journal/VOL112NO4/july1.shtml>

The rocky relationship began with a talking squirrel:

Ask most of the miners working at the Maple Creek or Powhatan No. 6
mines tell you owner/operator Robert Murray's squirrel story, and
you're in for a treat.

The way Murray tells it, he had just been let go in 1987 as CEO of North
American Coal Company and was feeling extremely down about the whole
situation. At home one day, Murray was sitting on his back porch,
contemplating his future, when he was approached by a squirrel. Murray
says the squirrel hopped up next to him, looked him square in the eye
and said: "Bob Murray, you should be operating your very own mines."
Unfortunately for UMWA miners, this seemingly intelligent rodent wasn't
too keen on fairness, so it neglected to add the words "and make sure
you treat your workers the way you would want to be treated."