Betty Jean Hall, a trailblazing Appalachian attorney and federal administrative judge, has passed away at 78. Hall died in Cary, North Carolina, where she had lived since retiring in 2019, her daughter Tiffany Olsen reported Monday. Known for breaking gender barriers in the coal mining industry, Hall founded the Tennessee-based advocacy group Coal Employment Project in 1977.
Hall was inspired to help women enter mining after learning a Tennessee company wouldn't even let women tour its mines. Before Hall's involvement, women in coal mining were virtually nonexistent. Davitt McAteer, a former assistant secretary for the US Mine Safety and Health Administration, highlighted how Hall combated long-standing myths and discrimination. Her argument was simple yet effective: "Mining is where the jobs are, and women need to make money just as men do."
Under Hall's leadership, the Coal Employment Project filed lawsuits against 153 mining companies for gender discrimination, leading to significant settlements and mandatory female hires. This resulted in 830 women being employed as miners by late 1978, growing to over 4,000 by the mid-1980s. Hall's efforts also contributed to passing the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, advocating for paid parental leave for miners. Kipp Dawson, a friend and former miner, said, "We got taken more seriously because it wasn't just the voice of a single woman."
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Hall later served as an administrative appeals judge for the US Department of Labor Benefits Review Board. United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts called Hall a "remarkable woman" and a "fearless advocate." Hall is survived by her daughter, son, two grandchildren, and a sister. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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