Ethics

Real Class Warfare: Murray Energy Fires 156 Employees After Obama Victory

In August workers at the Century Mine in Ohio, which is owned and operated by Murray Energy, lost a day's pay and were required to attend a rally for Mitt Romney so they could have their picture taken.

Employees of the mine who lost their pay for the day said they were intimidated into attending the "mandatory" event, and Service Employees International Union, District 1199, filed a complaint with Ohio and federal labor officials several days later.

Fast forward to today, and the Chairman and CEO of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, announced that he will lay off 156 employees because President Obama was reelected.

Robert E. Murray read a prayer to a group of company staff members on the day after the election, lamenting the direction of the country and asking: “Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build."

On Wednesday, Murray also laid off 54 people at American Coal, one of his subsidiary companies, and 102 at Utah American Energy, blaming a “war on coal” by the administration of President Barack Obama.

To recap -- we're going to take away your pay, require that you appear in a photo op for Mitt Romney, and then fire you if Mitt Romney loses.

The prayer Robert E. Murray read to his employees reads in part:

The takers outvoted the producers. In response to this, I have turned to my Bible and in II Peter, Chapter 1, verses 4-9 it says, “To faith we are to add goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self control; to self control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, kindness; to brotherly kindness, love.”

Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build. We ask for your guidance in this drastic time with the drastic decisions that will be made to have any hope of our survival as an American business enterprise.

And you will display "goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, brotherly kindness, and love" by firing 156 people who have their own bills to pay and families to feed? Many of whom may have even voted for Mitt Romney.

In this scenario, is Robert E. Murray a "producer" and the miners who inherit black lung on his behalf the "takers?"

As a non-religious person I cannot speak for the intentions of the "Lord," but I'm fairly certain that if such an entity does exist, he doesn't give a damn about your "American business enterprise" and he certainly wouldn't want you to sacrifice the lives of others so that you may escape being required to follow proper safety regulations or pay marginally higher taxes. But may he forgive you, because no one else will.

If you want to know the real story behind the dwindling fortunes of Big Coal, observe the testimony of Representative Ed Markey.

According to The Center for Responsive Politics, Murray Energy donated at least $1 million to GOP candidates during the 2012 election cycle not including spending on super PACs.