As noted last week, the TV show “Leverage” tackled the topic of mine safety in its episode on Sunday. How did the show do in terms of accurately portraying the safety issues faced in mines and the tension between workers and management?

I think the show did a good job overall of illustrating the dangers of mining, including the build-up of methane gas, insufficient supports, inadequate safety equipment, etc. It also played up the dilemma workers in mining communities face where there are limited options in terms of employment. Workers could refuse to work in the dangerous mines, often turning their backs on family legacies of mining work. But then how do they support their families?

The show also demonstrated the callous view that management can sometimes take in the wake of an incident, focusing on the bottom line and not workers’ lives. For example, the opening scene showed an explosion in the mine. A worker runs to the mine opening, yelling, “Call 911.” In contrast, the CEO who witnessed the explosion tells his assistant, “Call my lawyer.” I’d like to think this dialogue was written for dramatic effect but am afraid that that’s exactly how some CEOs think.

So what did you think about the show’s take on mine safety?

Did the Story Sound Familiar?

If the story sounded familiar to you, that’s because it appears to have been loosely based on a fairly recent explosion in a West Virginia coal mine in which 29 workers died. The mine was owned by the Massey Energy Company. Like the CEO in “Leverage,” Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey, refuses to pay the million dollar fines imposed against the company by tying up the cases in appeals for years.

Blankenship also has a history of trying to influence politics and elections—although he targets judges as opposed to the attorney general. For example, in 2004, Blankenship spent $3 million in ads against a State Supreme Court Justice’s re-election, coming under intense scrutiny after the judge who replaced him ruled in favor of throwing out a $50 million verdict against Massey. Four years later, Blankenship was photographed on the French Riviera with another State Supreme Court Justice.

And in the wake of a US Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited spending on elections by unions and companies—a case referred to in “Leverage”—Blankenship’s pattern is likely to continue.