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Oral History by Barbara Burns |
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True story of Appalachian coal miners |
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"Women In Coal" During the 70's and80's large mining companies invaded rural Appalachia extracting the black gold and offering above average wages, health care and even free college classes. Life was good. Barbara, the mother of two children and a husband with failing kidneys was in the market for a job. She didn't feel she had the necessary skills to hone in on a professional position or anything above minimum wages, so Barbara headed for the coal mines. She was employed by Island Creek Coal Company in 1975, donned her hardtoe shoes, her mining belt, knee pads, hard hat, light and headed underground. She became, she believes, the 3rd woman in the United States to work underground. She began shoveling the belt line and rock. The coal was bituminous and low, estimated at 36". A lot of time was spent on the knees or in a bent over position. She later worked in the section running the shuttle car and coal scoop. She said that her Daddy nearly died when she signed on to run the shuttle car. That had been his job for years and he knew first hand of the danger. The work was hard but the wages were good and the union companies provided, good working conditions, safety was a primary factor and health insurance, something according to Barbara you don't know how valuable it is until you don't have it. She was employed by Island Creek Coal, Pittston Coal and Bethlehem Coal, all union. She earned her foreman's certificate. She said that she always did her fair share of work, always pulled her weight on the job. She left the union mines and became employed by a non-union mine, Smoot Coal Company at Webster Springs, WV. The coal company was out of Maryland. It was there under the management of a miner turned president that she became entangled in the first sexual-harassment suit filed by a woman working in that underground coal mines. According to Barbara the battle was long and bitter. She was the first to file but the other women working there and a man were only days behind in filing. She was unable to obtain employment at any other mines, black balled over the suit. She now was faced with supporting 2 teenagers and a husband unable to work due to even more kidney problems. Barbara had enough, unable to obtain representation locally, Barbara contacted a former acquaintance and lawyer who was running A Coal Employment Project in the DC area. Her organization promoted equal employment opportunities for women. She agreed to take the case. In 1986 the suit was filed, the case was settled last year, 2000. The first appearance was before the Department of Human Resources (Title IX), then circuit court appearance in Webster County, West Virginia where Judge Somerville ruled against Barbara Burns. The case came before Braxton County Circuit Court, Fayette County Circuit Court and finally the Supreme Court of West Virginia who all ruled in her favor. The settlement was for approximately one million dollars with a realization of $52,000 and following legal fees and the IRS, Barbara Burns' final financial settlement was $19,000. The president of the mines is deceased. Sam Burns, Barbara's husband has had his second kidney transplant and is doing fairly well. Barbara is now a nurse and really enjoys her work. Her father was diagnosed with black lung and died of lung cancer.
The attorney who represented Barbara Burns
became a Chief Administrative Appeals Judge
of the Benefits Review Board for the
Department of Labor in the DC area and settles black lung
cases. She visits Barbara and Sam every time she is in the area. |