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Monday, October 28, 2019

Blackjewel coal miners are to get their back pay this week

Nearly four months after coal company Blackjewel LLC abruptly declared bankruptcy and left more than a thousand miners unpaid for several weeks of work, the company agreed to pay its employees the roughly $5.1 million they're collectively owed. The checks should already be in the mail, according to the company, Will Wright and Bill Estep report for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"According to a settlement approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky this week, Blackjewel will send $1.99 million in checks to just over 400 Kentucky miners," Wright and Estep report. "The company will send $2.72 million to about 600 Virginia miners, and $369,000 to about 80 miners in West Virginia, according to settlements approved in federal courts of those states."

The backpay could bring some closure to the miners, many of whom blocked a Blackjewel coal train from leaving Harlan County for nearly two months in protest of the company's failure to pay up. Jessica Maggard, whose husband worked for Blackjewel, "said she and other miners and their families are hopeful about the upcoming check, but do not expect to be compensated for contributions to life insurance policies or vacation days," Wright and Estep report.

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