[Captain Backdoor]

I was just curious as to how much of the BGR population is related to the coal mines.

[El Indio]

My cousin's husband works in the coal mine.

[Mr. Pike Central]

My father works in the coal mines...my grandfather was a coal miner.

I think its safe to say that coal mining is in my blood.

I'm pretty sure I'll be a coal miner too once my life straightens out.

[BlackcatAlum]

My father and brother drove coal trucks.

[Captain Backdoor]

How does one go about getting a job in the mines?

[Hoot Gibson]

How does one go about getting a job in the mines?

I have been out of the business for a few years, so my information may be a little out of date. I am guessing that the demand for new miners is way down, so a person might need to do a few things to separate him or her self from the crowd. Kentucky requires 40 hours of training for new underground miners. West Virginia requires 48 hours. There are independent trainers who will provide the training for a fee but I would check schools like Mayo first. If you have the necessary training in advance, it saves the company the expense of the initial training.

Becoming certified in first aid and CPR would also be a plus on an application or resume. Better yet is an EMT certification because mine operators are required to employ a certain number of EMTs.

Aside from health and safety training, any skill in areas like welding, hydraulics, heavy equipment operation, etc. also helps.

Like I said, my information may be outdated and I am not as familiar with what the requirements for surface miners are (or were). I think that the required training for surface miners used to be a day or two less than for underground miners. One thing is for certain, training requirements never get easier. You can check with your local MSHA or state Mines and Minerals office for current requirements or go online to find them.

After becoming certified as a miner, you are considered a trainee for a few months (a/k/a a "green cap" in KY or a "red cap" in WV) and are not allowed to work without direct supervision.

When the demand for underground miners was high a few years ago, many companies were actively recruiting young people to become miners and some were offering signing bonuses but with the current administration targeting the coal industry for extinction, the hiring process has probably become much more selective.

[Spud6]

My father and my two grandfathers were coal miners.

[pillsburythrowboy]

My father is a disabled coal miner. And very proud of it and supports the coal mines to this day. He suffers from very bad black lung but still continues to support it because of the familys and and people the coal mines feed.
My brother works underground and is on one of CAMs mines search and rescue teams.
My aunts boyfriend is a coal miner.
Numerous friends are miners or have jobs related to the mines.

[TidesHoss32]

I worked in the mines for 4 years before getting crushed last March.
My father worked in the mines 22 years, my uncle for 23 (both worked the majority of their careers at Bethlehem), and my grandfather for 42.

[BCF4L]

All of my uncles are in the mines. I had one grandfather in the mines. Other than that, office jobs on my side lol.

[DALE]

I am a first generation coal miner. I am a graduate from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, with a degree in Mining Engineering. I am employed in Ohio by the US's largest privately owned energy company, Murray Energy Corp. My future father-in-law has been in the mining industry for over 20 years. Currently I am an assistant longwall support foreman/mining engineer for the company. I help direct the daily operations of an 8 man outby crew to make sure that the longwall is able to run continuously. A couple of things that I help coordinate are power moves and air changes. We are about to finish the current mining in our 1E panel so we have a few individuals bolting and screening on the tailgate side for the pulloff. The current statistic for one minute of down time on a longwall costs the company around $840. It is fairly exciting work to say the least. I'm not sure how long I will stay in the coal industry, as I would eventually like to try my hand in the natural gas industry, but I feel that however long my time underground on the longwall staff may be, the safety measures that are taken today make me feel completely comfortable in my surroundings.

[blue1424]

Some of my relatives on my dad's side of my family were coal miners.

[cougarpride08]

Uncle retired from the mines, and my grandfather was in the mines before he died. First cousin is also in the mines.

[Hoot Gibson]

I graduated with a Mining Engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. I worked each summer in the mines during college and then spent about 20 years working in the coal industry before switching to an IT career. Coal miners keep the lights on for us and without them our way of life would drastically change for the worst. 0bama's constant attacks on the coal industry and coal-fired power plants are probably the thing that I hate most about him.

[strawshaker]

My grandfather and father and uncles worked in coal.
My grandfather passed away to the dreaded Black lung disease.
todays pay tempts a lot of people back into the mines but there
was a time when the pay was very low and the conditions was
deplorable & but its still a high risk job health wise and cave ins and
breathing coal dust and hard work but my grandfather would have
been proud to see the rise in pay and
better working conditions.

[killersneakers]

what is the life of miners be ?

[Westside]

In the past I drove a rock truck on a surface mine in Jackson County.

[Ballers]

In the past I drove a rock truck on a surface mine in Jackson County.

Pay pretty good?

[Westside]

Pay pretty good?

For the company I worked for the pay per hour wasn't good but we worked a minimum of 62 hours a week. A few times over 70. So in the end I got decent money but the average per hour wasn't good. Most companies pay decent per hour though.

[Football1]

Father and all uncles work or worked in the mines. Grandfathers on both sides as well. Good friend of mine said mines have a tough time hiring today for one reason- drug tests are now mandatory and many fail them.

Coal is the blood of the US. Politicians like Obama who have never set foot in a mine and live in the fantasy world of alternative fuels should have to get dressed and shave in the dark.

[Tailback44]

Several family members of mine made their living under ground.

[crazytaxidriver]

Ive worked on the surface for the past ten years.

[2dog]

Grandfather on Mom's side was a surviver of the Derby mine disaster in W.Va.. He and one other man lived two weeks on the lunches of the dead. He was the explosives expert that set the charges. The two of them managed to dig themselves out. After Derby he Moved to Harlan KY. to work for the Brookside mine where his arm was nearly cut in half in a accident. He died of Black Lung at age 55. My uncle worked in the mines with my grandfather and saved his life once by grabbing him as he was falling into a continuous mining machine. My cousin is a mining engineer that still works in the mines. My family always told the younger ones to stay away from the mines. Coal mine, moonshine or move on down the line. Follow the trail of baloney rind.