A decade-long dispute involving a group
of union coal miners in eastern Kanawha
County
A union official confirmed the United
Mine Workers of America and Alpha Natural Resources have settled a dispute
which dated back to 2004 when workers lost their jobs after the Cannelton Mine
was sold by Horizon Natural Resources to Massey Energy.
The union successfully maintained they
were all fired by Massey and refused employment at the operation under a new
name because they were tied to the union. The union picketed the operation in
eastern Kanawha County
The National Labor Relations Board
ruled in favor of the workers in 2012. The board ruled Massey must offer jobs
to 85 former employees of Horizon under the terms and conditions of employment
at the time Massey bought the operation. Additionally, the NLRB ruled the
company must pay back wages to the employees. The back pay could have totaled
millions of dollars.
Alpha and the union bargained for a
settlement to the dispute. The settlement was recently finalized and workers
started receiving checks this week. Terms of the agreement have not been
disclosed.
It was unknown how much the settlement was worth or how many
employees received a share of the funds. A number of those originally involved
in the suit and the long labor dispute have since died.
