Out-of-work miners blocking a load of coal from leaving a remote part of southeastern Kentucky have been told by their lawyers that the matter won’t be resolved until October at the earliest, as a federal bankruptcy court wants negotiators to reach an agreement without judicial intervention.
Demonstrators have occupied a set of railroad tracks in Harlan County since July 29 after Blackjewel LLC issued bad checks to hundreds of coal workers in the area before abruptly declaring bankruptcy. Some miners are owed more than three weeks in back pay and have vowed to continue with the blockade until they are paid what they earned. The parked coal, which was initially reported to be worth about $1 million, was sold before the company filed for bankruptcy, according to Blackjewel lawyers.
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