Reader comments
Were union miners kicked out of the rescue effort?

I don't think it had anything to do with them being union. It's more union whining. It sounds like 1 union team and 6 non-union teams were sent away. You don't hear the other 6 teams whining about it.

Excuse me are you even from emery county! we have a total of two union mines in our area and the local here seems to have no desire to unionize any of thier mining neighbors! If they really wanted to they would and could faster than Mr murray could call hard working union members lackeys!!! And what the heck is so wrong with having a body of people to protect and defend the rights of a certain type of tradework-in essence that is what our very government is-UNITED! I have family members that work for the very company at the head of this tragedy and I see no reason to believe that they are anything other than hard working individuals themselves but they dont have a unit to go up to plate and bat for them when executives like murray spend a better part of 4 days shuffling the blame from base to base!!!!!

Shouldn't we all be focused on a solution and praying for guidance instead of pointing fingers?

That is a travesty, I would think the minning company would want all the help they could find in getting to the trapped miners. This is Sago revisited they were a nonunion mine company too. I just hope we don't get the same results.

The one who needs the most prayers in Mr. Big Mouth Murray. Maybe those prayers will keep him from being so defensive about his political problems and focus on the families of these men! I have experienced the way Mr Murray "protects" his non union miners. He punishes them by laying them off 2 weeks before Christmas to make a statement about unionization. He gets angry and tries to defend himself when he should be defending those men buried 1500 ft underground.
But then what should we expect from a man who says a "squirrel told him" to invest in energy. He's just plain NUTS and that's why when he bought the mines 70 people quit!

Seems to me that the mine owner has the right to control the situation at the mine. If he wants to use his own men and not others don't confuse the issue by saying it is related to union vs non union.

Since when is this a union vs. non-union issue? The goal here is to get the trapped miners out safely and hopefully alive. Shame on the 'whining union' members and shame on the writers for the Deseret News for giving them an audience. Let's get the guys out of there and let those union members that weren't invited to the party cry in their soup. They can even invite the other non-union rescue teams who were equally turned down to mop up their tears.

Mr. Murray is a major problem on so many fronts that he has lost all credibility, imo. Now, even if he DID provide some useful and accurate information, it would be pretty hard to swallow. Just drop the mic and back away.

Back before the Wilberg disaster, I was head of the Statistics Unit of the Utah Industrial Commission. I worked for an outstanding man, Commissioner Walter Axelgaard. Even though the commission had limited control over coal mining (that's MSHA territory) Commissioner Axelgaard was increasingly concerned with what he perceived to be a deteriorating safety situation in the Utah coal mines. The Commissioner had us cut injury data by mine head. The statistics on Utah coal mines were horrific, lots of serious injuries in most of the mines. Armed with these data Commissioner Axelgaard tried to persuade mine operators to tighten up on safety. He tried hard, but was rebuffed by many of the operators. The result was Wilberg.

There are no men in state government like Axelgaard, and none of the hand wringing by Gov Huntsman and Senator Hatch can make up for it. Nevertheless people need to know that one man, Walt Axelgaard, tried to repair the situation back in the early '80's.

There was no earthquake. All he want to do is limit his liability. I don't believe for a minute that he really cares about the men.

its no coincidence that all of these recent mine accidents have been in non union mines. its a shame when the unions are demonized by greedy corporate devils like this murray. its a bigger shame that people fall for the anti union propoganda.this accident and sago would not happen in a union mine.

I worked for Murray for years and I will tell you this....Like all mine owners he is out for profits above all and on a day-to-day basis, could care less about the miners down there. Get the coal out! That is the priority. Now that that drive for coal has brought about this situation (which is not an accident, but a forgone conclusion when corners get cut on safety), Murray is trying to dance out of trouble.

Some of you say "why can't we just get along in this time of crisis." I understand where you are coming from. But in times like this, the divide between company and workers does not lessen. It gets wider. When workers get injured or killed in the mines--and I know this from personal experience dragging my near dead brothers out more than once--the company goes into "find a way to blame the miners and not be shut down" mode. Every miner reading this knows I am speaking the truth.

Even those of you who don't work such dangerous jobs, think about when someone at your company needs an expensive surgery or maternity leave, or has a sick child and needs to take alot of time off.

A small percentage of you may have good situations, but for most of us in the fixes I just mentioned we be on the companies "get rid of list." There is a different name for that list I won't write.

I know Murray has no desire for the union to be anywhere near that mine.

I have worked union (last 5 years) and nonunion (first year) and I have to say that at the end of the day, it does matter if there is a union or not.

The ability of miners to have an organization to defend ourselves without the threat of instant firing (and the union is not always perfect) is better than one miner against management alone.

The real power of the union is the confidence of the individuals in it to act together and fight for safer conditions.

All we can pray for is that the miners are recovered from the mine.
The problem with the the accidents that have been occurring is that they happen at non-union mines where workers have no rights to stand up to the coal owners who only concern is the bottom line of profit.
Why wouldn't you want the best mine rescue teams to assist you when they are union teams.
The crap that the coal owners have been going on with since Sago where they blame mother nature lighting and earthquakes. When are the coal owners going to take Responsibilities for the safety in the coal mines they run instead of trying to either blame other factors or the workers.
There is a real need for all workers to stand united on safety the stronger the union the safer the coal mine.

Mr. Murray has spent a lot of time with the media trying to make himself look like he is exhausting all possible available help...when in reality he immediately denied experienced help from Union miners. That in itself says it all. IF he genuinely cared about the safety and well being of the men entombed - then he would of gladly accepted Union help and would of welcomed unionization long ago for the benefits it offers his employees. It's time for the people of the good ol' USA to realize what a Union can do for them and stop believing all the crap the wealthy owners feed them. The reason American workers are envied by other countries is due to the safety & benefits the Unions brought to this country. People don't appreciate or respect Unions or Union workers anymore - future generations will come to regret that I am convinced. The information on the denial of help needs to be spread so that this nation can understand the whole picture. I hope Mr. Murray and his company spend every dime they ever made trying to reach these miners.

Persons like Murray just further strengthen my opinion that the human race as a whole is in a state of mental and spiritual sickness consumed by greed. How sad it is that we ignore the will of God. How sad it is that we undermine our brothers and sisters. How sad it is that we value money over blood. The trapped miners are in my prayers, they have been since I first read of this event. Run to God, my friends, it is the only "race" you will truely ever win..

what a lot of you dont know is the union rescue team had just took 1st place in the national compition about a month earlier my husband works for murray so we know first ahnd why they was sent away and yes it was because of them being union... and yes alot of us wifes worry on a daily basis if our husband will come home after the 12 hour shift is done but know first on all our minds should and will be those who are waiting for us to come bring them home