Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 13, 1993 TAG: 9310130191
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A Buchanan County circuit judge issued a restraining order Tuesday morning against union pickets at Consol's VP No. 3 mine at Vansant, where the company says strikers have damaged vehicles belonging to company supervisors.
Also Tuesday, a United Mine Workers spokesman said a striking miner was struck by a supervisor's vehicle.
Roughly 800 union miners have been on strike at Consol's three Buchanan County mines since July 13. The mines are the only ones in the state involved in the UMW's multi-state strike against the companies of the Bituminous Coal Operators Association.
Even as the strike in Virginia took a turn for the worse, progress was being reported at contract talks between the union and coal operators in Washington, D.C. An associate of special mediator William J. Usery said he's hoping for a settlement this week.
The strike had been quiet in Virginia because until this week Consol hadn't tried to operate the three Buchanan County mines. Consol acquired the mines when it bought Island Creek Coal Co. this summer.
Although operations at two of the mines still are idle, on Monday, Consol began mining coal at VP No. 3 with supervisory labor.
The decision to resume mining is not an attempt to undercut contract talks, said Thomas Hoffman, a spokesman for Pittsburgh-based Consol. No replacement workers and only supervisory employees are being used to operate the mine, he said.
In normal times, the mine produces 6,000 tons of high-quality, low-sulfur coal a day. Coal is carried from the mine on a Norfolk Southern Corp. rail line.
The Buchanan mines had not been working for several months when the company decided it was time "to start running the business," Hoffman said. Consol has been operating some of its mines in Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia.
At Consol's request, Buchanan County Judge Nicholas Persin issued a restraining order Tuesday morning limiting the number of pickets and picket-line activity at the Vansant mine. Hoffman said strikers have damaged the vehicles of company managers and have flattened tires by throwing "jackrocks." Jackrocks are welded-nail devices resembling children's toy jacks. When thrown, they always land with a sharp point up.
Virginia State Police Lt. J.B. Willis confirmed that his department has received complaints of cars being damaged as they pass through the picket line and of tires being flattened by jackrocks at the mine.
Lee Potter, a UMW international representative who is helping coordinate the strike at VP No. 3, said that about 6 a.m. Tuesday, Raymond Elswick of Tazewell County, one of the union pickets at the VP No. 3, was struck by the vehicle of a company supervisor.
At the time, Elswick was with about 100 miners who were picketing close to the entrance road to the mine, Potter said.
The supervisor who struck Elswick did not stop, but drove onto the mine property, Potter said. "He just came in there flying and ran over the guy," Potter said.
Elswick was examined at the emergency room of Buchanan General Hospital in Grundy and released.
State troopers were at the mine but did not charge anyone, Lt. Willis said. The matter was under investigation, he said.
Potter said the union would seek a warrant against the supervisor.
Unlike past strikes, the state police has not increased its contingent in Buchanan County by bringing in troopers from other areas of the state.
No decision has been made to change that policy in the wake of this week's increase in strike activity, but his department is continually evaluating that possibility, Willis said.
by CNB