Murray Energy, the Big Coal company that fired numerous employees after President Obama won re-election, is rehiring almost all of those who were fired.
Throughout the 2012 presidential election, Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray used his employees as a political tool to try to defeat President Obama. Murray allegedly forced miners to attend a pro-Romney rally without pay and to contribute to Republican candidates. He announced layoffs at mines in Ohio and Utah, claiming that Obama’s “war on coal” has cost jobs and hurt his business.
But months after blaming Obama for layoffs, Murray Energy is looking to hire back workers. Alec MacGillis reports this includes mines in Ohio and Utah, which had announced layoffs in the days following the election.
To fully realize how dramatic of an about-face this is, you have to go back to the prayer Chairman and CEO of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, read to the employees he fired.
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.
Blaming President Obama's "war on coal," Murray fired 56 employees in Ohio immediately after the election. They are now rehiring at least 43 of them.
And I would be remiss not to add that these are the same miners who were forced to appear in a campaign ad with Mitt Romney and lost a day's pay to do so.
They lost a day's pay, were forced to appear in Romney's ad, and then they were fired by Murray because Romney didn't win. Because "the takers outvoted the producers"
For more on how the whole story unfolded, see here.
(photo Scott Sommerdorf/AP)