Murray agrees to compensate union mine workers

OREANDA-NEWS. September 04, 2015. A Murray Energy subsidiary has agreed to compensate United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union members who "lost work opportunities" when non-union contractors were used to install seals at the Monongalia County coal mine, settling a lawsuit filed in February.

In the settlement, which was approved by the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on 1 September, Monongalia County Coal agreed that union members are exclusively in control of all construction and installation work on mine seals and that it would only use salaried supervisors or contractors for technical support or to apply patented compound material as part of the final installation process.

Monongalia will also "make whole" any UMWA members who were affected by the company's use of contractors on two occasions since 10 June 2014, when an arbitration decision was implemented barring Monongalia from using non-union workers to install the seals.

Neither the UMWA nor Murray said how many workers would receive compensation as part of the settlement, or how much the payment would be. The union told Argus that its local chapter and the company are working out those details. About 450 UMWA workers are employed at the mine, which straddles the West Virginia and Pennsylvania borders.

Murray said it was "pleased" to have "amicably resolved the dispute."

The UMWA filed the suit in February, accusing Monongalia of violating not only the 2014 arbitration decision but also a violation in 2010 that predated Murray's acquisition of the mine. Monongalia is among five West Virginia properties Murray bought from Consol Energy in December 2013.