Kentucky coal miners block train tracks in protest for pay from bankrupted company

A group of Kentucky coal miners who say they have not been paid after their company declared bankruptcy protested this week by blocking tracks of trains carrying coal.

A group of at least six miners employed by Blackjewel LLC, which recently declared bankruptcy, continued its protest Wednesday after saying they and other employees haven’t been paid in three weeks, according to ABC 6 WATE.

{mosads}“Every one of us has families and kids to take care of, everyone of us wants what we earned,” Chris Rowe, one of the original six protesters, told the news outlet. “If it wasn’t for our community there would be so many families right now with nothing .”

About 20 miners blocked the tracks Monday night near Cumberland but eventually let a train pass through after police arrived at the scene.

The news outlet reports several were still blocking the train tracks Tuesday morning and into Wednesday.

“We can take a stand here, but we need the backup and support,” Rowe said. “I speak for myself, I’m not gonna leave until I have money. I don’t want no more or no less I just want what I earned and I’ll be happy and I’ll go home. ”

The railroad company told the news outlet it was monitoring the situation and noted the protest does not have anything to do with them.

“We understand this is related to a dispute between the mining company and its workers,” railroad company CSX said in a statement. “CSX has taken precautions to ensure the safety of our employees and hopes for a quick resolution. Any questions on the coal distribution arrangements should be addressed to the mining company.”

Similarly, protesters said their issue is with Blackjewel, not the railroad.

“Companies shouldn’t be allowed to do their employees the way they do,” Rowe said. “I understand you run into hard times, market drops, you can’t have employees and just take their money like that.”

Blackjewel and its parent company, Revelation Energy LLC, earlier this month filed for bankruptcy and started cutting mining shifts of employees immediately.

Employees said their last paychecks from the company are bouncing, while the company in a statement to the news outlet Tuesday said they are working on a resolution.

“We know how eager you all are to understand what will happen to your mine and whether you will be able return to work,” the company said in a statement. “We share this desire and assure you that we are doing everything possible to bring as many employees as possible back to work as quickly as possible.”

Cumberland Mayor Charles Raleigh lamented the difficult decision the bankruptcy has put the mineworkers in.

“Technically, they’re not laid-off and they haven’t quit … 401Ks locked up; they can’t get to that,” Raleigh said. “It’s really sad to me that this coward chose this route.”