U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 24, 2019) - – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) applauded the agreement reached today between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Blackjewel, which will allow for the miners in Eastern Kentucky to get their back pay.
The recent bankruptcy of the coal company affected coal workers in Central Appalachia. Hundreds of Eastern Kentucky miners will benefit from today’s announcement.
“The way Blackjewel has treated these miners is shameful, and I applaud the Trump administration and Governor Bevin for going to bat for our miners. Today's agreement will allow our miners to be paid back for their hard-earned work,” Senator McConnell said. “From the beginning I’ve been in consistent communication with the U.S. Department of Labor, urging them to do everything possible to help dislocated mine workers in Eastern Kentucky.”
At Senator McConnell’s request, DOL last month provided $3,724,200 in National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, to help support Blackjewel workers and Eastern Kentucky coal miners and their families with employment and training services.
