Striking coal miner says he's ready to go back to work, if they do us right

Striking coal miner says he's ready to go back to work, if they do us right

Transcript¹

Coal miners in Alabama have been on strike against Warrior² Met Coal for a year. Union members say they are seeking better pay and benefits after making concessions³ to help the company survive.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

One year ago today, more than a thousand miners walked off their jobs at an Alabama coal mine called Warrior Met Coal. Over the past year, some miners have crossed the picket⁴ lines and returned to work. But hundreds have stayed on strike with financial support from their union. Back in 2016, the miners had accepted a cut in pay and benefits. Now they want them restored. Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf⁵ States Newsroom brings us some of their voices.

BRIAN KELLY: My name is Brian Kelly. I hope I can describe myself as a loyal union member and third-generation union coal miner in my family.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAFFIC AMBIENCE)

KELLY: Yeah. Them were our union high school buddies⁶. They do that every morning and every evening. So right now you're in the heart of traffic to the elementary school and the high school. This is one of our picket lines we got set up. We start out here at 5 in the morning, and we stay out here till 8 in the morning.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAR HORN)

KELLY: I do miss down - being down in the coal mines. It's dark. It's dirty. There's a combination of God knows what kind of chemicals down there that you're breathing in every day that's deteriorating⁷ your health. I love it (laughter). It's paradise to me. I love it. I love the coal mines. The family, the brothers and sisters that you're with every day, they're truly your family. You see them more than you see your wives or your kids.

RILY HUGHLETT: Right on time. Come on in. How you doing?

My name's Rily Hughlett. I'm a roof bolter at Warrior Met, which - you know, we're on strike right now, been that way for a year. The coal mining business has blessed us truly, you know? It's a lot of hard work. You sacrifice your physical and mental being to support your family. But it's a good living if you're willing to take the chances. I'll give it to the UMWA. They have stepped up more than I'd suspected that they would in helping⁸ all of us through this, you know? I mean, it's not a lot, but it's been close to $2,000 a month they've been given us. That's what's really helped us.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Chanting) U-M.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting) W-A.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Chanting) U-M.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting) W-A.

JOHNNY MURPHY: Johnny Murphy. And I'm a motorman, underground motorman. This is the strike rally, and they're supporting the strikers. The miners is on strike in Alabama at Warrior Met Coal, and we're here to justify⁹ - hey, give us what we deserve. I come here every week if I can - if it's the Lord's will, every week. It strengthens my spirit to see everybody out here, and we're supporting each other. It strengthens the spirit that we have out here, and we need that. Well, right now I'm a little frustrated¹⁰. I'm ready to go back to work, but I ain't going back unless they do us right, do right by us. My wife is having to pick up extra shifts when she can, but right now COVID has played a major role in her not being able to work as much, either. So we're on the verge¹¹ of just, you know, probably being in trouble.

Oh, I'm not going across the line, never. I'll never. My daddy was a coal miner, and he'd probably beat the hell out of me before one of these guys out here do. He don't play that scabbing. There's no excuse.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: This story comes from the Gulf States Newsroom and Stephan Bisaha.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

3 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

4 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

7 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。