Mountain News & World Report; A News Report on Coal Strikes, Gas and Oil Regulation, Shotguns, Rural Medicine, and Turkey Calls

Along about a year ago actually. Where the rich here he put Adam out they go to have a meeting the employees of SE chloroform. We lay at the side of the Maidan which side leave. We've had enough of the way things been going se we want to have a union election. In July 1990 workers at Southeast coal company voted to join the United Mine Workers. The worker signed a number of grievances especially the company's cancellation of health insurance. Greg Horne is the treasurer of UMW a LOCAL 3 0 0 7. We spoke with him a year ago. We filed for election of the election come up the left 24th which we won the election by 540 to 140 man. I believe that somewhere around the same be 8 percent of vote and shortly thereafter the company notified us that they could be shut down and lay in pink blouse come up to the 10th of October. They did have the layoffs. They laid off from our neighborhood of 400 million. Mostly man we feel is laid

out for us. Most vocal and strong with union supporters that was it. Which we filed charges for they believe that we will win our charges that we filed that we was Fard. They said part of it was like Adolf We college fired for union activity. I think that now that we've been certified by the union some man months after the election I think we might be able to get something done here in the near future. But that was not to be the southeast strike itself. The old fashioned contest between labor and management has just about gotten lost in a welter of government agencies for one thing the company has filed for bankruptcy and it is still in court claiming millions of dollars from Kentucky utilities on a coal purchase contract and the strike and strikes often do move into the domain of the National Labor Relations Board. I think I think the way the union elections is carried on than what National Labor Relations Board holds things up is to benefit companies

or the workers and I think that they've just give us the runaround actually to try and hold it right the union and starve us a. But what if we fail together Farley wail and we feel that we have state stay together. We'll have a chili when I have one. It's not always about hearing these stories but now they'd be back to why because it was like i lost their job the first time. We wouldn't be here today. Karen Edwards her husband Earl was part of a group that tried to get the state to respond to the economic needs of the strikers such as job retraining. You know I clicked on your program it is good but the way the real flaw see it all went through the book. It's real good program but I don't want to back up about is this good I would look if you wanted to hear time I got eight for two years. Oh my God. She had been laid off. She got laid off because while

I'm laid off. No nothing as of this about 9 o'clock this morning we received word from their national union in Washington they say that we got the OK to go ahead and set up picket lines to Stracke southeast coal company because of unfair labor practice. And now they have recall of man and not recall them the same year already and we failed that leaves us no choice but to set up picket lines distracting them for on fire labor practices. So we think what it is is just the company's transplant the union members up. Trying to get us to give up and fold up and quit they got another think coming this bunch is not going fold up quit we're here to study and we're going say to se coke only does what's rat by their man or will be on a picket line from now in June things seen briefly to be moving in some direction as the UMW authorized to strike a se but the picket lines were barely two days before the union's national leadership decided on another strategy

going back to the NLRB union official Marty Hudson. Folks are going back to work. What we do is union we've said everybody everybody go back to work even the ones laid off in October of last year. And what we've said to the company was everybody is coming back to work now it's up to the company who they want to except this company is always in the past except at some people that they like to not take in other people that they didn't like. We're going to see what they do. We'll file the appropriate bore charges after they make their decisions. And there the matter has stayed for nearly a year. The National Labor Relations Board has yet to rule on the union's charges of unfair labor practice. And the Kentucky Supreme Court has still to rule on the company's claim against Kentucky to what he's. The strike at South East plays out against a background of decreasing employment in the coal industry. It raises the question of what kind of economic future we can expect in this region. University of Kentucky historian Ron Heller.

If our democratic system does anything for us it ought to provide us with the freedom to make an adequate living and to sustain our children in the area that we want to do that. Right now you know was it as far as the new modern technology and everything there is going to be fewer and fewer coal miners here in eastern Kentucky and throughout the country for that matter. We're not going to survive here on call long. We're going to have to bring other technologies and other industries in here to eastern Kentucky or everybody's going to have to continue to. Through Turkey as they have for years and years. You need to develop adequate support programs to support individuals during this time of transition. When a regional economy is moving from one kind of economy to a variety of other kinds of economy when we when we don't make those opportunities available then we leave people with nowhere to go. We need to stand up for what's ours. We are a rich part of the state probably the richest even richer than all the big horse farms in Lexington but call's of all the

minerals we have here we don't want to really have no intentions of leaving. And. If the states our state's got to offer us we maybe we need our own state here nice to be here so we don't need to be offered ways out of here we need to be offered ways to keep us here. And right now the state into he is is not offering any ways to keep us here in eastern Kentucky. No matter how bad it gets we will survive. The 992 session of the Kentucky General Assembly has adjourned the next regularly scheduled session is in 1994 during the 92 session. Legislation regulating gas and oil drilling operations received media attention because of an active grassroots citizens lobby. Despite this the bill eventually died in committee. Evan Williams from not County actively lobbied for the bill. She recently won an award for her effort supporting environmental legislation the day she went to receive her award. Equitable resources

exploration incorporated into her land to service an oil and gas well without her permission at this time there is no law in the state of Kentucky which says oil and gas developers must seek the permission of the surface owners in order to reach their mineral tracks. The day after Mrs. Williams received her environmental award she and a group of supporters blocked the road leading to the well raising the larger question of the citizens role in protecting the environment for Mountain News and World Report. I'm Tom Hansen. The yellow single shot shotgun was a very important part of the early man years have so do you know natural hunter in the average Johnson were the two most popular ones. Only one usually mean extra food on the table. It also was a means of recreation. Nearly every week there was a shooting match and some community people would come from miles around to try and shoot the other. The late Morgan 6:10 tells us of an experience with his old average Jetson.

I had already done and thinking yeah I'd already gone on you know the all the long running to go on then my family you know had wanted to have a home made along palm 12 gauge not sure 100 He harder in a big lot and then the hickory tree used to grab the main head the heart of what we call. A long Bryant on our long haul or the end of the holler name long hard. He said that I had I gone and not a son never killers were allowed all that hickory shot about in jail never did Kyung are now and I never said nothing. I don't know her ma gone and you know one of the top I Nono in all the long runs you're on. One day we went up the holler he treated makes world. Then your hickory tree at will and I want a round round. Period. That's very important in winning what no hard to turn a tree only on live you want to hone in on the tree and stop while

I'm singing I down one of the crying that young girl out when I got with a couple from the ground later whether to go or not me down. Well thought Harlow and now he talked on all but the heel. I heard him a barking and he thought now to Tennessee I think Oh I think that my mind that I went to I'm so worn out that well that if you treat them with Eddie and kids for a lot at. Odd Around and Around and Around. Can see you know which world I'll phone a doc help up the hill. Not yet see it darn well want to heal. I think wanted to tell you why you gotta top that treat I don't got your nonchalant that's world. Yeah that he hadn't yet said much of the time I'm going out here and I know you are here to kill this world another Christ not gone that's growing he don't

ally I killed him and I got myself and a couple of new ground again going into the ground with the hoary. Well I'm pretty much were all my own hile been here that house. Not according to that I doubt that you clean told me to go no one can deny that. I just don't believe it and then when you're sure I mean try that you aren't out of it here they're going to and you are out of writing no more for a shotgun. He thought that paper on he might be going to go on and you know I don't you can't mug I don't know I don't know a little and then when I tried out he stand up and he's not to go on you know trying to add to rent. You go on and hammy gauntlet and I want to ground menat and I'm back on the ground going down not having no more of that if you don't feel out of your dreams and already had a target he thought about nonchalance and that

piece of paper but I didn't this far and I won't brag on your going to Morgan and you've got to go on what are you going to but he found that tell us how you make squirrel gravy. Now you're talking cooking school. OK I'm going to go into all round them up some blogs writing water and I'm going to think not to thank and for damages logical him and your writings were all cute together. You wouldn't. Then that if you do that you don't put in black pepper and you're driving and drive in the world the late Morgan Sexton format News and World Report. I am but Nygard. Most doctors in the mountains come from other places. Many of them from foreign countries for various reasons they come to work in an under-served area. But for Dr. RDM

Bates it was a matter of coming home. Maxine can we go to the Leatherwood clinic in Perry County for the story. Thanks very much. Dr. Artie and dates. I guess you're just your black lung disease now you. Resort to fear. No it don't go to my back very comfortable being here. Yeah. Because your limbs almost sounds like fluid that it's all black you can be just trying to act like stuff from. You know. From Colpus. OK you know that you need it. What are you going to long johns. I always have had an interest in physical things. And if someone got cut. I always want to look at it. If someone had a boil I want to smash it. So I have a scale I want to see

what was under it. And I always block people a lot because because maybe because of my birth order or something be in fear I always have to sleep with somebody I didn't have my own room and to sleep with one of my brothers and my sister or my parents for years and so I was always used to a lot of people being around that close why. And I always knew that I wanted to come back to the mountains. There's never been a question I didn't want to come back and then I also became a mother which was a whole nother force. That Wafa person through today. So. Let's you know scale also saying you know from work in full and. Well been in office by myself and Blackie and I wanted to be like the country doctor who had delivered me at home and and who had had an office in black you know and they were going to his office and. And I

wanted to be able to barter with patients and let them pay me with what they had rather than just money and. And be in my hometown. But what I found is that the medical system nowadays doesn't allow doesn't have room for country doctor anymore. And what I also found is that it was hard for me to take the money from a friend. That is harboring to take the money from people who used to help raise me. You know it just took the fun out of it to have to be part of the money and of it. Two years ago Dr Bates left private practice and went to work at Mount comprehensive Keres Leatherwood clinic. She describes the caregivers there as almost an extended family. The clinic serves parts of Perry lecture and Leslie counties and eastern Kentucky a Mahometan conference of help corporation system has been around for 20 years. It's literally sitting out in the middle of a cow pasture. They're

cows that graze in the field behind the clinic. When when the clinic was was in the think tank a man named face hawk I'm his from Leatherwood wanted to have the clinic there and. Went around getting donations in a paper bag until he got it and $5000 or whatever it was and was Baker the director of promise to meche his five thousand if he could get it and he and he went around on foot and in his car with a paper bag and got a bag full. I got a bag that had $5000 and said OK here's the money I want the clinic. So so that one person really earned that clinic for his area and he still isn't out. Once or twice a week check in on everything. Wearing his overalls and being really friendly and he's sort of like the big grandpa the whole place. And actually if patients have a problem with some staff member being a little brusque with them they cough a Assen. And you know if you act bad we're going to debate zucchini you a lot.

You know. You know and sometimes they come then you should use for medication. Straight with me. Well I've got a black card I used for anything it's room that you used to play for. So. So you did as a buyout to a certain state you know. Yes that's true. Fortunately this clinic we have the sliding scale the pavement. And saw that people have little income they only pay a portion of the overall cost. But it's true especially now the law of minors young minors like golf. They may be already bought a home so they don't qualify for medical car. And. So a lot of them are doing without health care because the money. Until a situation changes a lot of people just go. Well I think it's common in rural areas and in areas where there's high unemployment meaning there's not a lot of income. For people

to put off health care until by until the problem is so serious that it's hard to get under control. But I think what has to happen is that we have to reach them on their level and I don't mean that in a derogatory way but that. What people mostly do is watch TV and listen to the radio. I had this feeling that a lot of my patients probably listen more to what their favorite soap opera star does in terms of his or her help than they do to fasten. And so I'm thinking maybe I should go be a script writer for soap operas and incorporate into that Will. It's time for my new pap smear and. It's time for me to take my blood pressure medicine and you know that kind of stuff because I think they're popular programs. Maybe carry more weight that they see them with more as having more validity. Than this crabby old doctor that says we are listeners you know threatening a threatening sort of doctor and Dr Bates doesn't write for the soaps yet but she does do a

popular health column on her local public radio station. She did mystifies common ailments advocates for national health care and talks about how cultural differences affect health and well-being. Hello. This is Dr. RDM Bates and this is health matters. Often in the mountains we were accused of having some funny ways. And one of them is letting our children sleep with us until they are great big. This leads to stress when we take our children to a doctor who tells us this is psychologically damaging to us and the child. We then look at ourselves and ask who is rat. The educated doctor or the instinctual mother. To whom do we listen. Our ancestors whose children slept with them in order to be safe warm and close. Or the psychologists who scare us just a little with their theories. When Dr Bates the daughter of a coal miner left the mountains at 17 to go to the University of Kentucky home was never far from her mind and cultural

differences played a great role in bringing her home to practice medicine. One of my fondest childhood memories and growing up around here was that at about age. I remember one day being outside and looking around at the mountains and thinking. I'm the luckiest person in the world to get to grow up here and. Until I left the mountains and went away to college felt that way. And it was a tremendous phenomenal horrible culture shock. And I didn't know how to. Relate in a whole lot of different ways. The customs were that I encountered were real different from what I'd been used to. Plus I was incredibly homesick and I think that's the common experience of many people is there just no place like being home with your family and the people that you know and the extended family in you know the soup beans cooking on

the stove and. All that kind of stuff and being in the mountains where you can just go out in the back porch and walk up in the woods and nobody sees you and you can sit there for two hours and just look at the leaves if you want to. It's food water and shelter are considered basic human right. So it's health care and every American deserves health attention. Talk to your senators and representatives about making they think health care the law. For health matters. The doctor already and they think there should be there should be some form of health insurance for every person in this state in this country and it's a disgrace that we don't have it. I see plenty of patients any day of the week every day of the week who can't have things done because they don't have the money. And that we have. Lots of money to spend on wars and killing people and we don't have money to spend on helping people inciting people. It's a disgrace that the saying in it's wrong. When there are young children who are going without dental care and immunizations and basic health care

because there's no money left over for them you know I think the Gray Panthers might have some political voice but children don't. And unless we stand up for them they're not going to get taken care of. So it was fixed. I think it's good that you were. This is Maxine County for Kentucky Public Radio. Greece where you line up with a mobile phone. Ladies thank you Greece. No no no. Well if you work hard if. You do they. They were they. Let your county rank second in Kentucky in the number of turkeys the Wild Ones That is Jim Webb talk turkey with Coyle Holstein Jr. about his quest to find the monarch of the

woods. And he lives from the day he's hatched and the day he finally dies on the edge of death. And so I was out in the woods today during the you know the second day of turkey season beyond description as Ralph Waldo Emerson said of spraying. It was the tyranny of ecstasy. Breath of air that were filled with blossoms marvelous and occasional sounding off of the monarch of the woods while gobbler. Sounding his presence. So were his domain. And so did you have the pleasure of hearing that today. Absolutely. I. Was transported by being able to. Speak with him and have him respond. I haven't actually. Come in to meet him in his own environment as equals.

And he still in his environment. And I go home without the meat. But that's what yelling is about is the effort. It's about pain. The pay to fight here. But. Keep dragging noted a sense of satisfaction that you could actually talk to the turkey. Is that right. And it ended. That is right. Yes yes. If we can believe the paleontologist a descendant of dinosaurs. We can believe the paleontologist. That he has evolved this ability to sound. Has not only a way to attract mates and to keep his mates with him but also to have other turkeys. I understand that this is his domain and if you're ever out early in

the morning and the quiet nests and the birds peeping and you hear the. Mighty roar of the turkey you'll understand what the age of the dinosaurs was about. Understand the mysticism. Communication through your eardrum right into your brain. Kind of like a radio. Like. So is Turkey your second language. Indeed you have to speak turkey. You have to understand you have to be able to. Not mimic but to reproduce Turkey that that is it is two things on his mind this time of year. Sex and staying alive. And you have to use the one to overcome the other. Give me a sample. Like an up call just in the morning this is just a warm up. There's liking up in the morning. It's going to open.

Opening your eyes open and looking out over over Turkey domain. Getting getting getting getting down to find that I get that get that reckless thing going. Looking for companionship. Excited. OK. Do you hear that. It really getting said. What was that one.

And your special kind of God. And it is the course. It was OK to change. Slower. OK. I can tell you it must work because the dogs love it. Do you have any other second languages. As a matter of fact I'm I'm pretty good at dog. As I like to demonstrate here. Like a real turkey to me.