Years after CONSOL ended retiree benefits, judge finds merit in case claiming miners were defrauded
Original Article: https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/10/14/10-years-after-consol-ended-retiree-benefits-judge-finds-merit-in-case-claiming-miners-were-defrauded/ Several retired coal miners are feeling validated this month as a federal judge found merit in their case alleging that CONSOL Energy engaged in a decades-long scheme to rob them of lifetime health benefits for them and their spouses that were promised as a condition of employment. The coal miners who brought the case […]
Judgment Against Justice Coal Companies For Mass Termination Violation Climbs Past 1.9m
The judge’s approval in a Sunday court filing denied the Justice coal companies’ request for a new trial, finding in part they were trying to relitigate whether employees were terminated or just had their hours reduced and dismissing their assertion they were precluded from objecting to jury instructions. Following an August 2022 jury trial finding […]
Justice family companies facing nearly 2 million dollar penalty for failing to notify miners of layoffs
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) – Last week, the U.S. Dept of Justice filed suit against Gov. Jim Justice’s son and the coal companies he operates for failing to pay millions in penalties for environmental violations. On Tuesday, WVVA News obtained court records showing that some of those companies may be in even more trouble. In March, […]
Miners, taxpayers expected to profit from Department of Labor issuing black lung cards after retired McDowell County miner’s lawsuit
By Mike Tony Link to the Article on Charleston Gazette-Mail US Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation BLACK LUNG BENEFITS IDENTIFICATION CARD It’s like trying to work with a pillow over your face, Thomas Culbertson said. “You can’t do it,” Culbertson says of the black lung disease […]
Cabell Huntington Hospital agrees to nearly $5.7 million lawsuit settlement with some retirees
HUNTINGTON — A federal judge in Huntington granted preliminary approval of a nearly $5.7 millionclass action lawsuit settlement between Cabell Huntington Hospital and some of its retirees whoaccused the provider of reneging on health care benefit promises.If the settlement is approved, it would provide payments of more than $18,860 to each of 211 nonunion retirees […]
Wyoming County jury finds for surface coal miner
By Mary Catherine Brooks THE WYOMING COUNTY REPORT A Wyoming County Circuit Court jury awarded a surface coal miner $160,000 in damages after jurors determined he was wrongfully discharged from his job as a welder at a Coal Mountain mine. Rick M. Varney, a resident of Mercer County, was awarded $148,140 in compensatory damages and $11,860 in […]
Laws in place to support miners
Miners can avoid the epidemic of severe black lung by acting together to refuse working in illegal or highly-dusty conditions. We have young miners waiting on lung transplants, which should not happen in the 21st Century. But our laws provide much stronger protections than people commonly think for miners who refuse unsafe or unhealthful conditions. […]