[6] Shortly thereafter, a miner in Wyoming filed a class-action lawsuit against Blackjewel, arguing that they violated workers' rights under the WARN Act.
In the last several days, my office has received numerous troubling complaints related to the Blackjewel mining company ranging from clawed back paychecks to child support issues.
On July 16, Beshear, as well as Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, reached out to enlist the help of the Office of the United States Trustee which was overseeing Blackjewel's bankruptcy case.
Beshear asked the miners to submit detailed information regarding wages owed as well as regular paycheck deductions such as child support and retirement funds.
Five miners (Dalton Lewis, Chris Sexton, Dakota Shepherd, Blake Watts, and Jeff Willig[14]) blocked the coal train by standing on the railroad tracks.
Trooper Danny Caudill reported, “We received a call that several individuals came up here and were blocking the tracks and wouldn’t allow a train to pass.
I made contact with the group and they were very understanding when I explained what the law was and they cooperated.”[15] The five miners were escorted off of Blackjewel property by KSP officers.
Soon, the miners were joined by dozens of others, forming human chains to block the coal train from leaving the area.
Homemade signs written on everything from old pizza boxes to bed sheets declared the motto of the protest, “No pay, we stay.” [18] On July 31, CSX Transportation requested that protestors allow for the safe passage of two train engines.
[25] Transgender activists arrived from neighboring counties to help organize the camp and build solidarity by installing a solar powered shower and an outdoor kitchen.
In October, as part of the company's bankruptcy settlement, $5.47 million was awarded to fired miners, including those in Harlan County.
On January 13, miners for Quest Energy occupied a railroad track near Kemper, Kentucky and blocked a 120-car coal train from leaving, claiming that the company failed to pay them wages for three weeks.
Miners at the Duke Energy mine engaged in a prolonged strike regarding fringe benefits and working conditions.