Workers at the non-union Sago mine knew the facility was unsafe, but were afraid to speak out, the son of one of those killed said Wednesday.

"My dad would come home at night and tell me how unsafe the mine was," John Bennett said during an early morning interview on NBC's Today Show. His father, Jim Bennett, was among the 12 miners found dead; one miner survived and is in critical condition.

John Bennett said the miners "can't speak out about (safety problems) because the United Mine Workers is not protecting the workers anymore. We have no protection for the miners."

Jim Bennett, who had worked in the mines for 30 years, was scheduled to retire in April, his son said. Several of those killed were veteran miners in their 50s and 60s.

Family members and the community of Tallmansville experienced a rollercoaster of emotions late Tuesday ? first told their loved ones had survived, then given the gutwrenching news that the information was wrong.

John Bennett said the families want answers and they want accountability.

"A lot of us can't understand how, in 2005, this mine could have 208 safety violations," he said.

Since October, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued 50 citations to the Sago mine, some as recently as Dec. 21, including citations for accumulation of combustible materials such as coal dust and loose coal.

MSHA said in a statement early Wednesday it would begin an in-depth investigation, including "how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners' conditions."

United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts, quoted by the Associated Press, called the miscommunication "inexcusable" and demanded a full investigation.

Safety experts question whether an investigation will result in any change.

Jordan Barab, a former special assistant at OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and health and safety expert for AFSCME and the AFL-CIO, said the federal government is doing little to protect workers.

"The fact is that President Bush has not requested budgets for OSHA or MSHA that even keep up with the rate of inflation and mandatory pay increases over the past several years while penalties for OSHA or MSHA violations remain laughably low," Barab writes on his website, Confined Space.

"The highest penalty of the more than 200 citations received last year by the Sago mine was $878. But that was the exception. Most of the others were $250 or $60. At that rate, it's hardly a good business decision to even bother fixing anything. And the administration has shut down any new worker protection standards in OSHA and MSHA."

Barab also notes a report by the Center for Responsive Politics, showing that coal companies contributed $2.3 million to federal candidates in the 2004 elections, with 90 percent of the contributions going to Republicans.

This article written by Workday Minnesota editor Barb Kucera, compiled from the media sources cited.