HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Coal miners protesting their lack of pay have reached an agreement with CSX to retrieve their engine without the cars carrying the coal.
Officials from the train company arrived at the train tracks in Cumberland Wednesday to talk to the miners. CSX was caught in the middle of an ugly battle between the miners and Blackjewel Mining.
"They come and said that they wanted their locomotive, they would leave the coal if it was alright with us, I said, 'cool.' They can have the locomotive, we aren’t here to put people out of work. They can take the locomotive out, leave the coal where it sits," said miner Chris Rowe.
The mining company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the beginning of July and said they would need about $6 million to pay employees. Hundreds of people were affected and paychecks for the last pay period bounced. Miners and their families have been struggling to make ends meet.
As CSX pulled away the miners could be heard chanting "No pay, no coal." It's been a three day standoff with the out of work miners who were blocking the train to protest not receiving payment since the receiving.
