Attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend

Oct 16, 1999
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/century-mine-romney-ohio-mandatory_n_1836674.html

Would you give up a day’s pay to see Mitt Romney in the flesh? Workers at one Ohio coal mine might not have had a choice.

Earlier this month, Mitt Romney was welcomed for a campaign event at the Century Mine in Beallsville, Ohio, by hundreds of coal workers and their families. Now many of the mine's workers are saying they were forced to give up a day-worth of pay to attend the event, and they feared they might be fired if they didn’t, according to local news radio WWVA.

The claims have been mostly denied by Rob Moore, Chief Financial Officer of Murray Energy Company, which owns the mine. He acknowledges that workers weren’t paid that day but says no one was made to attend the event. Well, kind of.

"Our managers communicated to our workforce that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend," he told local news radio WWVA, which has received several emails from workers claiming that the company records names of workers that don't attend those types of events.

The company's interest in having its employees show support for Romney may be a result of its CEO's close ties with the presumptive Republican nominee. In May, Romney teamed up with Murray's CEO Bob Murray for a fundraising event in West Virginia. And Murray's made no secret of his support for the Republican party, previously backing Rick Perry.

In addition, his company has donated more than $900,000 to Republican candidates in the last two years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Murray, who is also a climate-change denier, has been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s stance on coal. That view may be why Moore told WWVA that having employees attend the Romney event “was in the best interest of anyone that's related to the coal industry in this area or the entire country."

This isn’t the first time workers have been frustrated by a Mitt Romney campaign event either. Employees of Sensata Technologies, a company owned by Romney’s previous employer Bain Capital, protested a campaign event earlier this month in Bettendorf, Iowa. In that case, Romney didn't respond to questions about what he would do to prevent their jobs being outsourced, The Rock River Times reports.

Please tell me an employer can't legally cite something as mandatory but then dock your pay for doing it.
 

alzan

Diamond Member
May 21, 2003
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/century-mine-romney-ohio-mandatory_n_1836674.html



Please tell me an employer can't legally cite something as mandatory but then dock your pay for doing it.

I'm no lawyer but that does sound legally questionable. And recording the names of workers that don't sign up to attend events, what's that about?

Does he want a bunch of exuberant workers to show up and bask in the glow of Romney's smile and hair, clapping at all the right phrases?

A little narcissistic on the bosses part; he may have some control management issues as well.
 

Anarchist420

Diamond Member
Feb 13, 2010
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It was mandatory to keep their job, but they could've chosen to get fired. That's what he meant.

This was also huffington post, and they can be pretty dishonest sometimes, even if not to P krugman's level.
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
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Of course they weren't forced to attend, that is just Liberal lies. They naturally could have chosen to just lose their jobs if they wanted. Seems fair to me.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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better link? and how is this Romney's fault?

IF true the workers better be talking to lawyers.
 

cybrsage

Lifer
Nov 17, 2011
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If anyone in the coal industry votes for the man who says he wants to destroy the coal industry, they are stupid.
 
Nov 30, 2006
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It's always nice to get the other side of the story to get a little balance.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/coal_mine_owner_bob_murray_def.html

Coal mine owner Bob Murray defends no-pay action on day of Romney visit

TAMPA, Fla. -- Robert Murray, the coal mine owner who hosted GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently in eastern Ohio, is at this morning's Ohio delegation breakfast in advance of today's Republican National Convention sessions.

And he's not happy about news reports that his company told workers to attend the Romney rally at the Century Mine on Aug. 14, a day they could not work because the mine was closed during their morning shift -- and were not paid. The Plain Dealer wrote about the issue today, crediting radio station WWVA with its initial report that said workers feared they'd be fired if they didn't attend.

When Rob Moore, chief financial officer of Pepper Pike-based Murray Energy, discussed this with WWVA, he said that managers "communicated to our workforce that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend." He said the company did not penalize no-shows.

We caught up with Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray a little while ago, after he exchanged pleasantries and small talk with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine before breakfast was served. Murray is a substantial Republican donor. Asked about the claim that workers feared for their jobs if they didn't attend, a claim that President Barack Obama's reelection campaign has seized on, Murray said, “I think that is a lot of ridiculous nonsense."

He added:
"What you people are suggesting is that I pay somebody to attend a political function that they attended voluntarily. You don’t pay somebody to attend a political function, and that is what you are advocating by making an issue out of this.

"I had 3,000 coal miners there – wives, children. They enjoyed it very much. It was a great day. And you people in the media are trying to make something negative out of it because some radio personality tried to make an issue out of it. Would you rather I paid people to attend a political event, because that is what you are saying. The answer is you don’t.

"My people have their own minds. They have their own desires. Nobody was ordered to attend. Nobody knows who attended and who didn’t. But I can tell you this: We had 3,000 people there, it was a great day, our people enjoyed it. Barack Obama is destroying their lives, their livelihoods. These people ae scared, and they came out in droves to see Mitt Romney and that’s what it was all about. A great day."

Asked about the closing of the mine that day, he said, “We had to close it for security reasons. The Secret Service would not allow us to be conducting a mining operation underground when we had people there. Now what is so newsworthy about that that? The Plain Dealer has to make a news issue about it? It’s a security issue. Yes, we closed the mine for one shift. We did not have the mine closed for more than the one shift that Gov. Romney was there.”

Asked if the Secret Service had ordered the mine closed, Murray said, "We discussed it together and knew we had to close the mine. We could not have men working underground at the same time we had all this security going on outside. It was a security issue.”
 
Feb 10, 2000
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It's always nice to get the other side of the story to get a little balance.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/coal_mine_owner_bob_murray_def.html

Coal mine owner Bob Murray defends no-pay action on day of Romney visit

TAMPA, Fla. -- Robert Murray, the coal mine owner who hosted GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently in eastern Ohio, is at this morning's Ohio delegation breakfast in advance of today's Republican National Convention sessions.

And he's not happy about news reports that his company told workers to attend the Romney rally at the Century Mine on Aug. 14, a day they could not work because the mine was closed during their morning shift -- and were not paid. The Plain Dealer wrote about the issue today, crediting radio station WWVA with its initial report that said workers feared they'd be fired if they didn't attend.

When Rob Moore, chief financial officer of Pepper Pike-based Murray Energy, discussed this with WWVA, he said that managers "communicated to our workforce that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend." He said the company did not penalize no-shows.

We caught up with Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray a little while ago, after he exchanged pleasantries and small talk with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine before breakfast was served. Murray is a substantial Republican donor. Asked about the claim that workers feared for their jobs if they didn't attend, a claim that President Barack Obama's reelection campaign has seized on, Murray said, “I think that is a lot of ridiculous nonsense."

He added:
"What you people are suggesting is that I pay somebody to attend a political function that they attended voluntarily. You don’t pay somebody to attend a political function, and that is what you are advocating by making an issue out of this.

"I had 3,000 coal miners there – wives, children. They enjoyed it very much. It was a great day. And you people in the media are trying to make something negative out of it because some radio personality tried to make an issue out of it. Would you rather I paid people to attend a political event, because that is what you are saying. The answer is you don’t.

"My people have their own minds. They have their own desires. Nobody was ordered to attend. Nobody knows who attended and who didn’t. But I can tell you this: We had 3,000 people there, it was a great day, our people enjoyed it. Barack Obama is destroying their lives, their livelihoods. These people ae scared, and they came out in droves to see Mitt Romney and that’s what it was all about. A great day."

Asked about the closing of the mine that day, he said, “We had to close it for security reasons. The Secret Service would not allow us to be conducting a mining operation underground when we had people there. Now what is so newsworthy about that that? The Plain Dealer has to make a news issue about it? It’s a security issue. Yes, we closed the mine for one shift. We did not have the mine closed for more than the one shift that Gov. Romney was there.”

Asked if the Secret Service had ordered the mine closed, Murray said, "We discussed it together and knew we had to close the mine. We could not have men working underground at the same time we had all this security going on outside. It was a security issue.”

How is it possible that with the mine's owner and manager at the event, "nobody knows who attended and who didn't"? Even the mine's management concedes that the employees were told attendance was mandatory.

I don't personally think this is the story of the century, and the only reason it's "newsworthy" is the connection to the Romney campaign, who presumably had nothing to do with telling the miners this was a mandatory event. That being said, the mine's response does nothing to alleviate people's concerns about the fairness of requiring workers to attend this event without pay.
 
Oct 16, 1999
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By all means, let's trust the guys running this company over the workers.
Murray Energy is perhaps best known for operating the Crandall Canyon mine in Illinois that collapsed in 2007, killing six miners and two rescue personnel. After that tragedy, reporters uncovered thousands of violations resulting in millions of dollars in fines at various mines owned by the company.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/20...-event-without-pay-we-knew-what-would-happen/

And I didn't post this to implicate Romney, just the assholes responsible for a total dick move who, shockingly enough, just happen to be Romney supporters.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
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If anyone in the coal industry votes for the man who says he wants to destroy the coal industry, they are stupid.

Since you just throw this shit out here. Links?

Really?

I thought it was common knowledge that the miners and coal industry feel that way.

Obama's 'Clean Coal' Fighting Words To W.Va. Dems

Mingo County, deep in the southwest corner of West Virginia, has sent a "protest vote" to the attention of President Obama. In the May 8 Democratic primary, voters chose a man named Keith Judd to run for president. He got 61 percent of the vote.

Judd won't be available. He's serving a 17-year sentence for extortion. From prison in Texas, he managed to file the papers, pay the fee and get on the West Virginia ballot.

Obama did win statewide, but Judd beat him in the coal mining region, where many believe the president is waging a "War on Coal."

But still, how could a president running in his party's primary lose 10 counties to a guy in prison?

The Answer: Coal

The overwhelming issue in Mingo County is the future of coal mining. You will hear, see and read talk about "Obama's War On Coal," people blaming the White House for mines shut down, coal-burning power plants shut down and jobs gone.

http://www.npr.org/2012/07/02/15612...ocrats-find-obama-s-clean-coal-fighting-words

Fern
 

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,651
2,393
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That employer is a fool. His workers are coalminers, chances are 98% would vote against Obama anyway. Unpaid mandatory attendance at the political event is the best way to get some of them PO'd at Romney and either not vote, or vote to spite their employer.
 

cybrsage

Lifer
Nov 17, 2011
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I am posting a snippet of the entire remarks. They are all at the link so you can read them in context

Here’s the entirety of Obama’s remarks:

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted. That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel, and other alternative energy approaches. The only thing that I’ve said with respect to coal — I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as an ideological matter, as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it, that I think is the right approach. The same with respect to nuclear."
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/11/republicans-to/
 

Mr. Pedantic

Diamond Member
Feb 14, 2010
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When Rob Moore, chief financial officer of Pepper Pike-based Murray Energy, discussed this with WWVA, he said that managers "communicated to our workforce that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend." He said the company did not penalize no-shows.

We caught up with Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray a little while ago, after he exchanged pleasantries and small talk with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine before breakfast was served. Murray is a substantial Republican donor. Asked about the claim that workers feared for their jobs if they didn't attend, a claim that President Barack Obama's reelection campaign has seized on, Murray said, “I think that is a lot of ridiculous nonsense."

Wait, what?
 

Double Trouble

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
9,272
103
106
There are obviously differing versions of what actually happened, but even if it happened the way the plain dealer reported, it still has nothing to do with Romney.

Sounds like this is a mountain out of a molehill, must be slow newsday.
 

LumbergTech

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2005
3,622
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There are obviously differing versions of what actually happened, but even if it happened the way the plain dealer reported, it still has nothing to do with Romney.

Sounds like this is a mountain out of a molehill, must be slow newsday.

it is a big deal for those workers, just not related to the campaign
 

Lanyap

Elite Member
Dec 23, 2000
8,100
2,154
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Asked about the closing of the mine that day, he said, “We had to close it for security reasons. The Secret Service would not allow us to be conducting a mining operation underground when we had people there. Now what is so newsworthy about that that? The Plain Dealer has to make a news issue about it? It’s a security issue. Yes, we closed the mine for one shift. We did not have the mine closed for more than the one shift that Gov. Romney was there.”

Asked if the Secret Service had ordered the mine closed, Murray said, "We discussed it together and knew we had to close the mine. We could not have men working underground at the same time we had all this security going on outside. It was a security issue.”


The mine owner sounds weaselly. Looks like the mine shutdown and manadatory attendance was a show of support for Romney by the mine owner.
 

cybrsage

Lifer
Nov 17, 2011
13,021
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The mine shutdown makes sense. They shutdown entire airports just because Air Force One flies in - even if it is on the opposite side of a huge airport like Chicago O'Hare. If the mine was shutdown for security reasons, people would not be allowed to work anyway (so no pay), so they might as well go to the event.
 

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
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There may be gaps in my knowledge about this, but I can't see how underground mining could present a threat to a political event on the surface.

Anybody have a clue? I'd really like to know if this fact or BS.