Many Kentucky coal miners will go unpaid until bankrupt Blackjewel re-opens its mines

A bankrupt coal company confirmed during a court hearing Saturday that many Kentucky miners will not be reimbursed for clawed-back paychecks until the company can resume its normal operations.

Employees of Blackjewel LLC, which employs about 1,100 people in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, were last paid Friday, June 28, but had their paychecks pulled from their bank accounts Monday, July 1.

That left many miners who had already paid bills on June 28 and over the weekend with overdrawn accounts and concerns over their finances.

During Saturday’s hearing, Travis McRoberts, an attorney representing Blackjewel, said the company hopes to secure additional financing in the coming days to bring back some of its employees for security and other “critical functions.”

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article232365747.html