"It is difficult for the families to go back and kind of keep this wound open, but the families' objective is to make change, to make MSHA accountable," attorney Alan Mortenson said. "There were people who were complaining and saying this place isn't safe."

Recovering the bodies of the six men trapped since Aug. 6 is also a priority. "I know there will be testimony about that" when the group appears before the House Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday.

Both the mine owner and MSHA would have to support a recovery effort. MSHA declared the search for the trapped men "suspended" Aug. 31 after seven boreholes probed the mine from the surface in search of the trapped men.

There has been no talk of renewing the search for the men or determining who would be responsible for the cost of such an effort.

Either MSHA, Murray Energy or both would bear the costs of a recovery effort.

"That is one of the problems, when people who have a financial stake in it are involved in the decision," Mortenson said. "The families don't want anything unsafe done, but they do want independent people looking at what can be done."

Caesar Sanchez worked at the Crandall Canyon Mine along with his brother Manuel Sanchez, who was one of the miners trapped. Caesar Sanchez is one of the five family members scheduled to testify Wednesday. He has harsh words to say about the way Murray Energy operated.

"They turn you into a donkey and whip you until you get your job done, so I don't like working for that kind of outfit," he said.

Caesar Sanchez left Crandall Canyon for work at a mine in Wyoming but just moved back to Price where he can help take care of his brother's family. He does not plan to return to mining.

Sheila Phillips had just passed her six-month mark working for Murray Energy, first at the Tower Mine and then at Crandall Canyon. Her son, Brandon Phillips, decided to work in the mine and was in his 11th day when he became one of the six men trapped Aug. 6.

Sheila Phillips' brother, Ray Snow, was one of 27 miners killed in the 1984 Wilberg Mine fire. She will testify Wednesday "hopefully to keep somebody else from getting hurt."

Experience leads her to Steve Allred, a career coal miner on disability, who will also testify. His brother, Kerry Allred, was also among the six who were trapped.

Steve Allred spent his career working union mines and believes the union provides "power in numbers, safety in numbers when it comes to mining."

He believes it is likely miners who have important information about problems inside Crandall Canyon aren't talking because "it's being hung over their head that if they don't like the way things are being done or they have a safety issue and let that concern be known, they're kickin' cans down the road because they're laid off or fired."

But regardless of whether a mine is unionized, "It makes me sick deep down, sick to know there's stuff like that has happened in different mines, whether they were union or non-union," Steve Allred said.

He wants to get the point across that any kind of mining operation needs to have a process where people can "sit down and get together and go to the mine officials and say, 'Let's take a harder look at this. We feel there's a safety issue here, and we need to get this figured out and do it a little different way."'

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E-mail: sfidel@desnews.com