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Two more coal miners died this week, bringing the
total deaths so far this year to 26. It’s time to stop
this crisis. Tell your members of Congress to support mine
safety improvements.
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Dear Working Families e-Activist,
Last week, we wrote you about the need to strengthen our mine
safety laws and about the 24 coal miners who already had died on
the job this year. Since then, two more coal miners have
suffered tragic deaths on the job.
On April 20, 28-year-old David Chad Bolen died in Pike
County, Ky., when material collapsed onto him. The very next
day, Rick McKnight, 45, perished when a machine he was working
on at a mine in Holmes Mill, Ky., shifted and pinned him.
Twenty-six deaths in just four months is a national disaster,
and it’s time for immediate action. Rising oil prices are
putting increased pressure on coal companies to produce more
coal, exacerbating the risk to miners. Contact your members of
Congress today and ask them to pass comprehensive mine safety
reform.
Click Here to
Take Action
Tomorrow, April 28, is Workers Memorial Day, when we mourn
for our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives in the
workplace. This year, we’re asking you to honor them by
fighting to prevent future tragedies and deaths in our coal
mines.
Make no mistake. The Bush administration’s record on
mine safety is appalling. President George W. Bush has put mine
bosses and industry executives in charge at the Mine Safety and
Health Administration, where they’ve gone on to gut the
protections in place for miners. We need Congress to take action
right now, before more miners lose their lives.
Ask your members of Congress to support H.R. 4695/S. 2231 and
S. 2308, which would take immediate steps to protect the
nation’s coal miners, including:
- Requiring immediate notification of accidents and rapid
emergency response.
- Requiring new, stronger standards on mine rescue teams,
communications, tracking devices and oxygen availability for
mine emergencies.
- Setting mandatory minimum penalties for egregious and
repeated violations.
- Prohibiting the use of conveyor belts to ventilate work
areas.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/minesafety
Thank you for taking action this Workers Memorial Day and for
all that you do.
In solidarity,
Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO | 
