The Charleston Gazette

FOR YEARS, some coal corporations have talked of bringing low-cost miners from Mexico, where diggers earn $75 a week, to replace $1,000-a-week U.S. miners. Observers have commented that America would be less disturbed by mine tragedies if the victims were unfamiliar foreigners.

Last year, a labor broker asked the Kentucky Mining Board for permission to import 1,000 Mexican and Chilean miners. The pretext given was that Kentucky miners are “on drugs and don’t work hard” — but the real reason was because the aliens would work for a small fraction of U.S. pay. Reportedly, the plan faltered because the Hispanics couldn’t pass Kentucky’s English-only mine exam.

full story