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By Andrew Hodge

ISSUES IN MINING LABOR The examination of mining labor issues is often confined to health, and safety. There are other issues, including the present state of mining manpower availability and utilization, and the nature of mineral industries' industrial relations, which are worthy of consideration. The state of the labor market for mining skills, the availability and utilization of mining engineers and related disciplines, the state of research and its employment of scientists and engineers, and the condition of mining industrial relations with all these groups, all have an important effect on the viability and economic health of the minerals production sector. PRODUCTION LABOR Why examine an industry's production labor market? People involved in an industry should be aware of what labor supplies will be relative to industry requirements. This advance information allows industry and government to plan ahead to alleviate problems by moving to affect labor supplies or to accommodate production to expected labor supplies. This is less costly and less painful than responding after the fact to labor market changes. Any industry requires some form of labor. Labor is especially important to the mining industry. Mining labor is well paid. Average annual earnings are higher than in manufacturing. Average hourly wages are also higher. Payroll costs form a high percentage of total cost in coal mining and nonmetallic minerals mining. In metal mining the percentage is comparable to the average for manufacturing. Payroll cost in oil and gas extraction is quite low, but a major proportion of cost is in the form of income to proprietors, i.e., unincorporated businesses. Mining labor is worthy of specific attention. The minerals extraction labor is unique in many ways. Mining labor and especially underground miners are differentiated from other "unskilled" labor. Miners cannot be considered as part of a larger labor pool. The mining labor market has exhibited a unique combination of characteristics. Mining is the only large sector of United States employment in which hourly wages are high and continuing to rise, yet employment declines. Although industry has introduced new labor-saving investments, and labor requirements continue to decline, there is evidence of a mining labor shortage. Specific problems have arisen in the mining labor market such as a present labor shortage in nonfuels mining. Understanding the causes and remedies for these specific problems is also important. These various problems and questions may be handled in a unified manner by examining the relationships of certain economic variables. The relationship that exists between changes in output, employment, labor productivity, and hours worked per week may be stated explicitly:

Jan 1, 1976

By Faustino Roel

AMONG the problems confronting the mining engineer in Mexico in recent years, labor conflicts have come to occupy s prominent place. Each day they have become more serious and frequently have caused- the ruin of companies. It is therefore necessary for the engineer to understand the Federal Labor Law, the rights and obligations of companies and of their workmen, and the reasons for conflicts; to keep in mind the expense which may be caused companies; and to endeavor to avoid difficulties as far as possible. Our labor legislation is primarily to protect the workman and the constant tendency of the tribunals, including the Supreme Court of Justice, is to support the work- man in his demands against employer$, even at times granting him more than he asks, with no limit other than the economic capacity of the company to com-

Jan 1, 1937

By AIME AIME

FOR the use of workmen and employees, the company should establish a dispensary and a -hospital where workmen who suffer accidents or professional diseases may be taken care of; and at suitable places in the mine or metallurgical plant it should install first-aid stations. Workmen have a right to receive 75 per cent of their wages while they are unable to perform their work as result of a professional disease; but some companies pay full wages and in the case of natural disease, with the exception of venereal, alcoholism, injuries from fights, and chronic illnesses, 50 per cent of their wages up to a period of two months. The number of diseases the Law considers as professional is large and increases almost daily. Among the professional diseases, the one which has caused greatest harm to the miners and expense to the companies is silicosis. To avoid its propagation, companies should take every possible precaution that the working atmosphere is free from dust, abating this by frequent sprinkling of the workings using, wet drills and furnishing the workmen adequate protective apparatus such as respirators.

Jan 1, 1937

According to the June 27 issue of Business Week, Rep. Kearns (R., Pa.) introduced a bill in Congress along lines suggested by the National Society of Professional Engineers, to amend the Taft-Hartley Act to permit scientific, technical, and professional groups to discuss wages, hours, and working conditions with management-with the protection and support of the federal law. The article reports that the bill is opposed by a loosely knit group of professional and technical unions, the Engineers & Scientists of America. This group wants Taft-Hartley amended to make it an unfair labor practice for employers to discuss collective bargaining matters with professional organizations.

Jan 9, 1953

By Landy A. Stinnett

Coal mines in the United States are the most productive in the world in terms of efficient labor employment. This is because of an abundance of workable coal beds, large infusions of capital, improved management practices and continuing competitive pressures. The standard unit of measurement for labor productivity is expressed as tons/manshift, although for underground mines, operators often refer to tons per machineshift. Articles written concerning labor productivity generally focus on measurement techniques, safety considerations, application of technology and training. This article will illustrate by example the impact of labor efficiency (or inefficiency) on the ultimate selling price of coal, f.o.b. mine site. During the past several years, the coal industry has seen significant improvement in labor use. Figure 1 shows the trends in productivity for all active mines in the United States from 1985 through 1994. Productivity in 1985 was 20.1 t/manshift (22.1 st/ manshift). This factor has increased almost linearly throughout that period to 37.5 t/manshift (41.2 st/manshift). This is a 7.2% annual compound growth rate.

Jan 1, 1995

By S. W. Zanolli

The history of labor relations in the coal industry of the United States is a study of its collective bargaining. This study of collective bargaining is largely the history of the United Mine Workers of America and its contractual relations with the various coal mining employers who have produced this country's coal over the years under a free enterprise system. There have been other unions in the picture from time to time and some coal miners have mined coal without representation by any union. Even today some 25% of the nation's coal is produced outside of the collective bargaining relationship with the UMWA. However, more than 100,000 coal mine wage employees - well over 75% of the total in the industry - are covered by labor agreements negotiated for them by the UMWA. Practically all of these work in bituminous mines.

Jan 12, 1972

By Yolanda González La Riva

El capital humano es la parte más importante dentro del desarrollo industrial, por lo cual la empresa debe crear y mantener una integración entre los miembros de la organización laboral. En este sentido, el objetivo del texto propone alternativas de solución en la relación patrón-trabajador a través de tres programas: el servicio social industrial, servicios asistenciales y de bienestar. El primero busca disminuir los problemas de índole social o personal del trabajador a fin de lograr una mayor eficiencia en el trabajo; el segundo, provee de medidas económico-familiares (becas de estudios, subsidios, asistencia médico-farmaceútica) que permita subsistir al trabajador como a su familia, y el tercero, busca mejorar las condiciones laborales, salud y stándard de vida del personal laboral a través de cooperativas de consumo y crédito, cooperativa de vivienda, etc. Asimismo, existen dos formas de realizar estas tres propuestas señaladas. La primera es el enfoque "paternalista" en la que el patrón presta atención al trabajador sin pedir participación alguna, y la segunda, es la "colaboración obrero-patrón", donde hay una participación económica y activa de los trabajadores y patrones. Finalmente, es importante que las personas encargadas de la supervisión de los trabajadores cuenten con aptitudes de liderazgo y empatía personal a través dl seguimientoe diversos cursos y que las compañías interesadas en desarrollar estos programas de bienestar al trabajador, logren buenas relaciones labores y sindicales a largo plazo.

Jul 20, 1959

1. A passenger rickshaw in China. 2. A Pekin cart carrying coal, on dirt roads; the cost works out to 15 or 20 c. per ton-mile. 3. Coolie with wheelbarrow. This one has a small load, but barrow men carry ordinarily 250 lb., occasionally 400 if with a helper. He goes about 18 miles a day and the cost is about 25c. gold per ton-mile, though it varies widely. 4. Coolie delivering coal balls in Pekin. He carries about 65 lb. On some roads with a different arrangement a coolie carries 133 lb., making about one ton-kilometer per day. 5. Truck used by the Government Fuel Yard at Washington. Carries 71/2 tons in an hour as far as a barrow man carries 1/4 ton in a day.

Jan 8, 1928

By W. J. Uren, Charles R. Kuzell

The industries engaged in winning minerals from the earth, because of their widespread dissemination, are faced with perhaps as wide a variety of labor-management problems as may be found in any other broad sphere of productive activity. Those problems are continually increasing in volume and complexity, and management has become aware of their growing importance. For the past quarter century at least, labor-management problems have largely been union-management problems. During this period tremendous assistance has been given labor unions through legislation and administrative and political action. In the United States, legislation favorable to unions has come about in the form of the now defunct National Industrial Recovery Act; the Wagner Act, most of which has been carried forward in the Taft-Hartley Act; the Norris-La Guardia Act; the Wage and Hour Law; the Walsh-Healey Act; and others. The result has been to transfer from the hands of management to those who direct the affairs of the unions a large share of control over the industry and to hamper in many ways the remaining control left to management. In the United States there are many examples of the power of unions to injure whole industries seriously with- out regard to the interests of management, the employes, or the public. This chapter deals with the various phases of labor-management relations as they affect the principal segments of the mineral industry in North America. To the greatest extent possible available data is presented pertaining to the unions involved, their relative strengths, labor law, compensation and fringe benefits of employes, working conditions, and related matters. As background, the historical development of union-management relations in the respective segments is included where possible. The section dealing with the United States has been divided into separate

Jan 1, 1959

By W. J. Uren, Charles R. Kuzell

The industries engaged in winning minerals from the earth, because of their widespread dissemination, are faced with perhaps as wide a variety of labor-management problems as may be found in any other broad sphere of productive activity. Those problems are continually increasing in volume and complexity, and management has become aware of their growing importance. For the past quarter century at least, labor-management problems have largely been union-management problems. During this period tremendous assistance has been given labor unions through legislation and administrative and political action. In the United States, legislation favorable to unions has come about in the form of the now defunct National Industrial Recovery Act; the Wagner Act, most of which has been carried forward in the Taft-Hartley Act and the Landrum-Griffin Act; the Norris-La Guardia Act, the Wage and Hour Law, the Walsh-Healey Act, and others. The result has been to transfer from the hands of management to those who direct the affairs of the unions a large share of control over the industry and to hamper in many ways the remaining control left to management. In the United States there are many examples of the power of unions to injure whole industries seriously without regard to the interests of management, the employes, or the public. During 1958 and 1959 revelations of corruption and coercion in labor unions made before the McClellan Committee of the U. S. Senate generated considerable public sentiment in favor of legislation to protect the interests of employes and the public. However, the resulting legislation, the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act), demonstrated quite clearly that the political power of the labor union leaders was adequate to prevent adoption of effective measures in this field.

Jan 1, 1964

By Edward Keller

(Canal Zone Meeting, November, 1910.) UNDER the title, Labor-Saving Appliances in the Works-Laboratory, I published a paper1 in which was described how multi-manipulations, in a works-laboratory, and in the furnace-room of an assay-laboratory, can be condensed into single manipulations by applying the proper mechanical devices. For example, I now deposit in, or withdraw from, a muffle a set of 48 cupels as one unit. The front row. (8) of these. are blanks or heaters; the other 40, when they have attained the proper temperature in the muffle, are charged simultaneously with the 40 lead-buttons. Three manipulations here accomplish an operation which by the generally customary method requires 136, and this number is only limited by the size of muffle and cupels. This operation is an enlargement of what I have already described in my former paper, and Fig. I shows the improved implements. In the paper referred to I described a gold-silver bead parting-bath, which is the last of the devices used in regular sequence in practice. This bath was designated as being convenient, but was not a labor-saver properly. Fig. 2 of the present paper shows a new device. Instead of the original tray, there are now sectional holders for the test-tubes, each having a wooden handle on either end, so that the holders may be removed from the boiling bath, and the acid or water poured off from each set of tubes (in this case, 7) without waiting to cool. The tubes, held in place by clutches, as shown in Fig. 3, rest in holes in the base-strip, having a smaller diameter than the tubes. Each holder is stamped at either end with a number, so that the bath becomes further useful by permitting several men to use it at the same time without interference. Apart from the handles, the holders are made of sheet-copper. ' Trans., xxxvi., 3 to 18 (1906).

Aug 1, 1910

By Edward Keller

THE present ruling principle in shop and factory, induced by conditions of. keen competition, is to do the greatest amount of work in the shortest time, or in other words, to secure the greatest output at least cost, a condition which generally necessitated the substitution of machinery for manual labor. The chemical laboratory in our industrial establishments has remained a factor of minor importance, and, for this, reason, not only has progress been permitted to lag, but the methods of analytical work have been carried on along individual traditional lines. Some works-laboratories are equipped with such conveniences as Gooch filters, suction-pumps, compressed air, shaking-machines, centrifugal machines, crushers, etc., yet there is much room for improvement, particularly in laboratories of metal smelting and refining plants, in which long series of filtrations and stirrings are performed singly by hand in a slow and laborious manner. There are also many other instances in which collective handling appears rational. As a rule the chemist wastes much time by such manual labor, which, in a modern establishment and under up-to-date management, could be more advantageously applied to useful chemical work; and such higher chemical work is gradually and surely becoming recognized as an essential extension of old-time methods of assaying. While it maybe said that in some laboratories, boys and not chemists do the manual labor, it should be borne in mind that all chemical work requires care and accuracy and in these respects boys are naturally a source of concern to the responsible chemist. Moreover, the cheapness of child-labor is largely offset by the increase in the expense-account of laboratory materials, caused chiefly by breakages resulting from care¬lessness. Having; been authorized by the Anaconda Copper Mining

Mar 1, 1905

By Valérie Tremblay

Plan de la presentation ?Laboratoire d?analyse des fluids ?Gestion des contaminants ?Condition Monitoring Avantages reliés aux analyses ?En savoir plus!! ?pour minimiser les coûts d?opération; ?pour prévenir les défaillances catastrophiques; ?pour maximiser le rendement des équipements; ?pour maximiser la longévitédes équipements; ?pour permettre des périodes d?entretien planifié.

Feb 1, 2008

By Richard N. Spencer

"El surgimiento de los laboratorios combinados del Banco Minero del Perú en la industria minera facilitó las investigaciones y tratamientos en la composición de los minerales. Por tal motivo, el objeto del presente texto es remarcar la función del laboratorio químico del Banco Minero del Perú, en tanto le suministre información analítica y compleja sobre el campo mineral inorgánico, asi como garantice los resultados analíticos uniformes con la más alta calidad. Asimismo la disposición de dicha entidad química, abarca las compras del Banco Minero, plantas de beneficio del Banco Minero y el control químico requerido por las nuevas unidades de los laboratorios Metalúrgico y Petrográfico que son parte integrante de este Laboratorio Central. En este punto,el laboratorio petrográfico, como fuente permanente de información básica ayuda al geólogo o metalurgista y planifica mejor la función del laboratorio central, mientras que el metalúrgico, desarrolla pruebas de molienda de minerales, flotación mecánica y no mecánica, y pruebas de concentración por gravedad. Posteriormente están las secciones de recepción, trituración y muestreo del laboratorio, las cuales se componen del departamento de trituración, departamento de muestreo y departamento de archivo, respectivamente. Finalmente, este equipo de laboratorio, cuenta con un laboratorio de Microscopia, de preparación de muestras para el examen microscópico yde ensayos especiales, que en conjunto permiten un mejor tratamiento y descripción sobre los minerales a investigar."

Jul 20, 1956

By K. M. Swanson

El presente texto describe la eficiencia del laboratorio protegido con el blindaje de Duunreay, Escocia, perteneciente al Centro Experimental de Reactores de la Comisión de Energía Nuclear del Reino Unido. El laboratorio ofrece una combinación única de medios sencillos de manipulación del combustible nuclear altamente radiactiva y de un conjunto de aparatos verificadores y experimentadores para múltiples usos, cuya función es estudiar el combustible de reactor.

Sep 1, 1965

By Enrique Monge

Dado que a nivel universitario existen pocos laboratorios adecuados de Física y Química en el Perú, se ha desarrollado proyectos de laboratorios privados y plantas experimentales tanto en el campo analítico y metalúrgico que encauzen la industria minera por el sendero de la técnica más elemental. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala la importancia de los laboratorios de investigación para las industrias mineras y metalúrgicas a través de la Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería y el apoyo del Estado. El laboratorio está dividido en 6 secciones: Minería, preparación y concentración de minerales; metalurgia de minerales no Ferrosos; carbón; fierro y acero; metales y aleaciones.

Jan 1, 1959

By R. Gong, R. Bhaskar

[Full-scale laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of ventilation and water spray pressure on the potential dust capture efficiency of a ventilation system comprised of blowing ventilation and an underboon scrubber. The tests were performed for a 1.52-m (5-ft) roof height and 2.36 m-3/s (5000 cfm) blowing ventilation volume, and a 2.44-m (8-ft) roof height and 4.72 m3/s (10.000 cfm) blowing ventilation volume at three face positions of the miner. The scrubber suction rate was varied for the tests to study the effect of scrubber flow rate on capture efficiency. The airflow patterns and scrubber efficiency were determined by performing tracer gas tests. Tracer gas was released through a manifold placed in front of the rotating miner drum. The gas was sampled in a grid fashion using a real-time multi-point gas sampling system. The capture efficiency of the scrubber was evaluated based an the peak gas concentration of the gas laden air drawn through the scrubber and the amount of gas passing, through the scrubber as a fraction of the gas released at the face. The data were analyzed to yield scrubber peak concentrations, potential exposures at various operator locations and the gas removal percentage (GRP). The underboom scrubber appears to work best in the end sump position, relative to the start sump and start slab positions. The capture efficiency scrubber was higher for 2.44-m (8-ft) roof heights compared to 1.52-m (5-ft) roof heights. The data also showed that the scrubber air discharged behind the mining machine may be drawn into the face area by the action of the blowing ventilation system, resulting in recirculation.]

Jan 1, 1994

By Yoginder P. Chugh

The characteristics of weak floor strata associated with actively mined coal seams in Illinois are very important from ground stability point of view and, in many cases, are the governing factors in determining the size of pillars and mine openings. Laboratory and field getotechnical characterization studies of weak floor strata were conducted at six mines during the period 1985-1988. Correlation analysis among engineering index properties, and laboratory, and field determined strength-deformation properties were conducted to identify simple tests which can be used to estimate ultimate bearing capacity and deformation properties of immediate floor strata. It was concluded that the ultimate bearing capacity (UBC) and strength- deformation properties of the weak floor strata can be estimated from simple tests such as, natural moisture content, atterberg limits, and axial swelling strain. Indirect tensile strength was found to be a better estimator of UBC than unconfined compressive strength.

Jan 1, 1989

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducratory and field tests to evaluate the effectiveness of dust collector bags for reducing dust liberation and operator exposure from a roof bolter?s dust collection system. The laboratory tests evaluated the bag?s effectiveness to contain dust and the effect on canister filter loading in both a bag and bagless condition. The dust emissions from the collector?s exhaust were also measured in each condition during laboratory testing and show that nearly 100% of the test dust fed into the collector was captured by the dust bags. Loading and pressure drop on the dust collector?s canister filter is greatly decreased when using the bags, enabling longer periods of drilling without filter removal/cleaning. The field results showed that, even though dust standards were met, respirable dust in exhausted emissions was reduced around the bolter. Laboratory and field results show that benefits from use of the bags are realized in all areas of operator exposure.

Jan 1, 2008

By T. W. Beck

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducratory and field tests to evaluate the effectiveness of dust collector bags for reducing dust liberation and operator exposure from a roof bolter’s dust collection system. The laboratory tests evaluated the bag’s effectiveness to contain dust and the effect on canister filter loading in both a bag and bagless condition. The dust emissions from the collector’s exhaust were also measured in each condition during laboratory testing and show that nearly 100% of the test dust fed into the collector was captured by the dust bags. Loading and pressure drop on the dust collector’s canister filter is greatly decreased when using the bags, enabling longer periods of drilling without filter removal/cleaning. The field results showed that, even though dust standards were met, respirable dust in exhausted emissions was reduced around the bolter. Laboratory and field results show that benefits from use of the bags are realized in all areas of operator exposure.