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A Little Weird

(1,754 posts)
Fri Jul 18, 2014, 09:16 AM Jul 2014

Coal Miner Whose Brother Died On The Job Was Fired After Flagging Dangers

In October of 2011, Jeromy Coots helped transport the lifeless body of his older brother out of the coal mine where they'd worked together in eastern Kentucky. Richard Coots, just 23 years old, had been crushed to death by a piece of mining machinery below ground.

Now, not even three years later, the younger Coots has been fired from his job at a different mine for flagging the sort of dangers that claimed his brother, according to Labor Department filings. He was let go in May after he complained in a company meeting that safety standards weren't being met inside the mine. He's 22 years old, with a wife and three kids.

"It's the Hobson's Choice that the miner is faced with," said Coots' lawyer, Tony Oppegard, who represents miners in safety cases. "Either you work in unsafe conditions, or you refuse and you get fired and you can't support your family."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/miner-jeromy-coots-fired-msha_n_5585568.html


Just a couple weeks ago, the state decided to cut the number of mine safety inspectors.

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Coal Miner Whose Brother Died On The Job Was Fired After Flagging Dangers (Original Post) A Little Weird Jul 2014 OP
Typical Omaha Steve Jul 2014 #1
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