Quote:

The class doesn't look like much — several of the students are chewing tobacco and spitting it into soda bottles; hoodies and hats are the uniform of choice. But for Roger Ball there is no sweeter sight. Last November things were grim at his mine safety certification centre in Williamson, a city of about 3,000 people. "There was no business, it was down to zero and we were going to lock the doors and walk away," he recalls. Back then he was lucky to have two students in class per week, but the day after Donald Trump was elected things started to change. "I'm not being political, Trump got elected and a light came on and it's been non-stop ever since," he says. "We've seen over 350 miners come back home, go back to work." He notes that 350 pales in comparison to the 5,000 miners he says have lost jobs here in recent years, but that it's "a big start". Trump 'exceeding expectations' of young miners.. Coal mining was the lifeblood of West Virginia for more than a century, but the industry has been dying for decades. Communities here are among the poorest in the nation, drug-riddled and absent a source of pride and purpose. One of Roger's students from a nearby town said the first day he came to class he drove up to the methadone clinic thinking it was the training school because "it was the only other building in town with people". Nationally, 60,000 coal jobs have been lost since 2011. Mr Trump campaigned on a platform to put those miners back to work. On election day he won in mining like states West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. "He's exceeding our expectations I believe," 29-year-old Jordan Bridges says. The fourth-generation miner says since Mr Trump was elected, his work hours have jumped from 40 to 60 a week and he's been given a raise. "He didn't say he's going to help us, he said he'll let us work," he says of Mr Trump. "Nobody around here wants a handout. We want a hand-up," he says. Like many of the men in Roger's class, 26-year-old Chris Church already has a job lined up for when he graduates, driving a truck at a surface coal mine. "It's fun to drive a piece of equipment the size of a building," he says. "I'm pretty excited. It's been a while since I've had a regular 'nine-to-five' job." Hopes pinned on Trump to deliver It's unclear though if this increase in coal-mining activity will last. After Mr Trump was elected, the price of coal shot up. He's started dismantling environmental regulations put in place by Barack Obama — like the Clean Power Plan — that critics blame for killing the coal industry.  >:( But coal-fired power stations across the country continue to close and coal has to compete with cheap natural gas. Trump's 100-day report card We break down how much progress Donald Trump has made on his core agenda as he approaches his 100-day milestone. Reopening shuttered steel mills could also go a long way to keeping the coal industry afloat, but Mr Trump is yet to come good on that promise. There is a lot riding on his ability to not only put miners back to work but to also keep them there. "I'd say if he lets these miners down — because these are some strong-minded individuals — that he better get ready for some backlash if he doesn't follow pull through with what he says," Chris Church says. Some however remain optimistic that the dark days of the so-called "war on coal" are now behind them. "We thought we was done and here we are hiring back so it changes in the blink of an eye so I wouldn't count us out yet," Jordan says with a grin. "Let's just wait eight years and ask that again."

an interesting story.. '

and they say that for every miner that is in work... it puts another 7 in jobs indirectly...

its hard to believe that Obama and other politicians slit the wrists of these workers and then just walked away from them...

considering in some cities that now call themselves "sanctuary cities" throwing money left right and centre at worthless bludging rsole illegal immigrants..

its mind boggling..

Lovely bullshit propaganda piece.

Shame it says NOWHERE that 23,000 retired coal miners and their spouses will be cut off health insurance on May 1. Strange how it also failed to mention most of these retirees have worked decades and have debilitating diseases such as black lung and emphysema, which are contracted from breathing coal dust from non-existent safety regulations or that these retirees and disabled miners are too young to receive government-funded Medicare benefits - you know the same program Trump wants to cut.

Coal mining is a dead industry. No jobs are coming back

Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are all closing stores in 2017

J.C. Penney: 138 stores J.C. Penney announced it was closing 138 stores and offering buyouts to 6,000 workers as it attempts to cut costs and shrink its retail footprint.

Sears Holding said it will be closing 150 stores this spring, including 108 Kmart and 42 Sears locations in 40 states.

Payless ShoeSource in its closing of nearly 400 stores.

America. Ain't it great?

Coal jobs arent coming back ANYWHER in the world. a Few decades ago automation culled 80% of the workforce and that isnt changing.  It is the same in australia where even in a coal boom, the workforce is still relatively modest - although welcome of course.

Marla wrote on Apr 28^th, 2017 at 12:26pm:

Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are all closing stores in 2017 J.C. Penney: 138 stores J.C. Penney announced it was closing 138 stores and offering buyouts to 6,000 workers as it attempts to cut costs and shrink its retail footprint. Sears Holding said it will be closing 150 stores this spring, including 108 Kmart and 42 Sears locations in 40 states. Payless ShoeSource in its closing of nearly 400 stores. America. Ain't it great?

But that is the retail sector across the globe. Online sales are booming however and taking up the slack. Witness Amazon which is now one of the biggest companies in the world.

longweekend58 wrote on Apr 28^th, 2017 at 12:52pm:

Marla wrote on Apr 28th, 2017 at 12:26pm: Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are all closing stores in 2017 J.C. Penney: 138 stores J.C. Penney announced it was closing 138 stores and offering buyouts to 6,000 workers as it attempts to cut costs and shrink its retail footprint. Sears Holding said it will be closing 150 stores this spring, including 108 Kmart and 42 Sears locations in 40 states. Payless ShoeSource in its closing of nearly 400 stores. America. Ain't it great? But that is the retail sector across the globe. Online sales are booming however and taking up the slack. Witness Amazon which is now one of the biggest companies in the world.

OMG!

Knock me down with feather.
That's true!
I agree.

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Apr 28^th, 2017 at 11:23am:

an interesting story.. ' and they say that for every miner that is in work... it puts another 7 in jobs indirectly... its hard to believe that Obama and other politicians slit the wrists of these workers and then just walked away from them... considering in some cities that now call themselves "sanctuary cities" throwing money left right and centre at worthless bludging rsole illegal immigrants.. its mind boggling..

Thatcher did it to the britain's miners in the 70s and 80s.

Labor keenly sought to destroy the logging industry in the 80s and was quite successful too.

Australia is looking to destroy our mining industry now.


They kill an industry and then just walk away happy that they have 'done something'.


They also seem puzzled at the vicious backlash of those affected by that 'something'.  :) :)

Marla wrote on Apr 28^th, 2017 at 12:26pm:

Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are all closing stores in 2017 J.C. Penney: 138 stores J.C. Penney announced it was closing 138 stores and offering buyouts to 6,000 workers as it attempts to cut costs and shrink its retail footprint. Sears Holding said it will be closing 150 stores this spring, including 108 Kmart and 42 Sears locations in 40 states. Payless ShoeSource in its closing of nearly 400 stores. America. Ain't it great?

You forgot Whole Foods, Marla. Business isn't looking so great for that high-end grocery chain because Trader Joes, ALDI and even regional supermarket chains are now offering organic food. Maybe Trump can bring those jobs back as well ...

AiA wrote on May 1^st, 2017 at 7:01am:

Marla wrote on Apr 28th, 2017 at 12:26pm: Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are all closing stores in 2017 J.C. Penney: 138 stores J.C. Penney announced it was closing 138 stores and offering buyouts to 6,000 workers as it attempts to cut costs and shrink its retail footprint. Sears Holding said it will be closing 150 stores this spring, including 108 Kmart and 42 Sears locations in 40 states. Payless ShoeSource in its closing of nearly 400 stores. America. Ain't it great? You forgot Whole Foods, Marla. Business isn't looking so great for that high-end grocery chain because Trader Joes, ALDI and even regional supermarket chains are now offering organic food. Maybe Trump can bring those jobs back as well ...

Make America whole again