CHARLESTON, W.Va.. — Patriot Coal on Tuesday announced the extension of WARN notices for more than 1,000 employees at six Kanawha County mining operations.
The layoff notices were for the Blue Creek #1 mine operated by Midland Trail Energy, Speed Mining, Wildcat Energy’s Eagle 3 and Samples mines, Remington’s Winchester Mine, and the Little Creek Dock. A total of 1,056 workers both salaried and hourly are included in the notices.
The notice is a supplement to a notice issued to the same operations in August. Patriot is in the process of being bought out by Kentucky based Blackhawk Mining through bankruptcy proceedings. The final sale is pending approval of a Bankruptcy judge.
Neither Patriot or Blackhawk Mining officials would comment on the notices. However, the notice stated the sale is pending in the next two weeks.
“This notice is conditional, inasmuch as Patriot at this time does not know the identity of the sale purchaser, nor the hiring plans of such purchaser,” read the notice. “The company now expects the sale to close on or sometime during the 14 day period from October 22, 2015 and November 5, 2015 with layoffs to take place during that time. The layoffs will be permanent.”
However, indications all along from Blackhawk Mining have been to rehire the vast majority of Patriot employees if the sale is allowed to move forward.
“The plan is for Blackhawk to rehire a substantial number of the Patriot employees,” said a source close to the sale speaking on the condition of anonimity. “It should be a fairly seamless transition for the workers.”
Indications were the Patriot layoffs were just part of the bankruptcy sale process, but neither side would confirm that is the case.