Miners learned in the middle of an afternoon shift that Blackjewel was shutting down immediately and putting everyone out of work. Workers did not receive pay for their last week on the job. Lawyers representing the miners in the bankruptcy proceeding estimated that Blackjewel’s employees in central Appalachia were each owed $4,202.91, on average, for wages and benefits earned. Mr. Pillersdorf said it was rare for workers to receive so much money out of a bankruptcy proceeding, while creditors also jockey for money. Joe Childers, another lawyer representing some of the miners, said that the back pay still did not resolve all of the miners’ claims.

Source: International New York Times October 25, 2019 01:41 UTC