Out of earshot from the boss, I spoke with a senior worker at the site. Charles Gasperetti, 44, a member of the United Mine Workers of America, told me he has been mining coal since the age of 20. His wage earnings, including overtime, approach $70,000 annually, plus health-insurance benefits. These are very good jobs for this area, he noted, providing enough for a worker to own a home and support a family. As for politics, his rule of thumb is that hard-coal miners have steady work when Republicans control the executive branch in Washington. He voted for Trump in 2016 and plans to do so again — and as far as he knows, his coworkers are of the same mind.