Rachel Dove-Baldwin
Staff Writer
WILLIAMSON - The economic decline that is affecting many jobs within the Tug Valley area has hit those employed with Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway yet again, as 10 Carmen and 1 Laborer in the Mechanical Department were furloughed, adding this number to the 26 train conductors with the Transportation Dept. that were laid-off from their jobs in October, 2012.
According to Robin Chapman, the Director of Public Relations with NS, the 11 men that were furloughed in the Williamson RR Yard is attributed to economic conditions that left their employer with no choice except to cut their number of employees.
“Seven Carmen who worked in the yard, 2 assigned to the road trucks and 1 general laborer received notices of furlough that will become effective Monday, Jan. 7th,” stated Chapman. When asked if he felt that more lay-offs were on the horizon, he said he could not speculate on that subject at this time. The Daily News also asked if these employees could exercise their seniority at another NS Railroad yard, and he replied that he was not certain, that it depends on what locations are within the seniority district and if they have positions available the furloughed workers would qualify for. Chapman commented that although there is a possibility that the workers could get recalled if the economy picks back up, he can offer no true assurance to any of those who were directly affected.
Bob Maloney, the Senior General Foreman for the NS Williamson Mechanical Dept. failed to return a call to the Daily News on Thursday, even though numerous messages were left for him requesting a comment.
We did not declare that there was some sort of "war on tin cans connected by string" when the smart phone eliminated our need to use 2 tin cans connected by string.
You are right that your region is tied to coal, but what has your region done to prepare for the day when the buggy whip (coal) is made obsolete by the automobile (gas)?
When coal slumps, everything in our area slumps.
It is not exclusively the price of natural gas either, that may comfort some, who wish to deny reality, but it cannot cover 100% of the crime.
Who, in Washington D.C., is at war right now, with the mining industry, and WV?
All our Democratic "Team" cannot stop him, if they even care to try?
VP Biden, in the rope line, Campaign 2008: "No new coal fired power plants."
Obama, in 2008, speaking to his friends in San Fran Cisco, said that although new coal fired utility plant construction could be attempted, he would bankrupt them with his EPA for trying.
Who was the man at Obama's EPA, who just resigned, that bragged about crucifying American industry?
Something is very, very wrong in America right now.