Source: Charleston Daily Mail On Dec. 5, several of my clergy colleagues, other faith partners and I, representing Religious Leaders for Coalfield Justice, organized and participated in a prayer vigil at the Kanawha Eagle mine near Chesapeake.
On Dec. 9, the Daily Mail wrote an editorial, "Democracy: Secret ballots protect workers from companies and unions," questioning our actions.
As we left the sacred corridors of our churches and took prayer to the doors of the workplace, the newspaper has entered into the proverbial sacred space of reconciliation and justice. Welcome!
Kanawha Eagle is 49 percent owned by Peabody Energy, the world's largest private-sector coal company. We organized the vigil to pray for reconciliation and the right of workers to choose.
Reconciliation begins with the basic religious teaching -- "the golden rule." Found in most major religions, the Christian version is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
We pray that Peabody Energy as well as the union will embrace this basic teaching.
In a world where corporate profits and "bottom lines" dominate decisions about jobs, employee benefits, job security and safety, we think a new "golden rule" has conveniently nudged out the old: "Ye, who has the gold (or in this case, coal) makes the rules."
Our view is Peabody uses its corporate power to interfere with the basic American right to organize employee unions.
Our prayer vigil confirmed how employer intimidation blocks the ability of miners to make a free choice.
When praying outside the mine and offering leaflets to miners as they drove by, the supervisor of the mine and two others pulled up in his Bronco and watched the miners driving into work.
Miners who were about to stop and take a leaflet pulled away as soon as they noticed their supervisor watching them. When the supervisor left, miners took the leaflets.
Unfortunately, Peabody management chose to remain in their automobile instead of accepting our invitation to join in our prayer vigil.
We must remember that employers have the power to hire, fire, impose disciplinary action, or threaten to close a mine.
This incident demonstrated the power imbalance between employer and employee; even silent interference by an employer intimidates workers.
It takes enormous courage for pro-union workers to express their views openly in an environment controlled by an anti-union employer.
We must ask: How are workers to make an informed choice under those
The newspaper states that the Employee Free Choice Act "would do away with secret ballots."
The act provides workers a choice: They can choose card check or a secret ballot election.
Under the present law only the employer chooses.
All of us have to ask: In our heart of hearts, where do we stand? Are we first with the worker or the company?
As people of faith, we are called to stand with the worker.
Coal mining is dangerous work. Laborers in the mines deserve to have their own voice on the job.
Our faith teachings say the freedom to join a union is a basic human right. Workers, not managers, should make the decision.
Our hope for further prayer and engagement on this vital concern is not with the Daily Mail, but with Peabody and local Peabody companies.
Speaking for Religious Leaders for Coalfield Justice, we pray that companies and workers will embrace the teachings of the real golden rule and do what is just and right for mine workers and future mine workers in West Virginia.
Sparks is executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches.
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