Kentucky coal miners get paychecks, end protest

The Associated Press

4 years ago

In this Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, photo, miners, who say they haven't been paid in nearly three w ... — In this Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, photo, miners, who say they haven’t been paid in nearly three weeks, set up a tent at the site where they block a coal train in the Kimper area of Pike County, Ky. A group of Kentucky coal miners who blocked a railroad track for three days over unpaid wages have ended their protest, claiming victory with their paychecks. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 photo, Timmy George, an employee of Quest Energy, stands on railroad tracks where miners, who say they haven’t been paid in nearly three weeks, block a coal train in the Kimper area of Pike County, Ky. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

In this Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 photo, Richie Noble, a coal miner at Quest Energy, shines a flashlight on a rail car filled with coal in the Kimper area of Pike County, Ky. Miners, who said they haven’t been paid in nearly three weeks, began blocking the train earlier that afternoon. The miners said they won’t return to work until their paychecks are in their bank accounts. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, photo, train cars filled with coal sit idle as miners, who say they haven’t been paid in nearly three weeks, block a coal train in the Kimper area of Pike County, Ky. The miners said they won’t return to work until their paychecks are in their bank accounts. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, photo, Dusty Maynard, an employee of Quest Energy, holds pieces of coal found on the ground near railroad tracks where miners, who say they haven’t been paid in nearly three weeks, block a coal train in the Kimper area of Pike County, Ky. A group of Kentucky coal miners who blocked a railroad track for three days over unpaid wages have ended their protest, claiming victory with their paychecks. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A group of Kentucky coal miners who blocked a railroad track for three days over unpaid wages have ended their protest, claiming victory with their paychecks.

Miners and their families began standing on the tracks leading from Quest Energy in Pike County on Monday, preventing a train loaded with coal from leaving. The miners said they hadn’t been paid since Dec. 16.

The few miners who remained on the tracks Wednesday evening told news outlets they were leaving because they had received payment, which included overtime pay, vacation days, all other money owed to them and this week’s check in advance.

Miners said they were supposed to have been paid last week, but then the date was pushed back to Monday, then Wednesday.

“If a man’s word ain’t no good, he ain’t no good. You don’t tell these men, ‘payday will be there Friday for sure.’ Just to get them to come out and work,” said Jennifer Blackburn, the wife of one of the miners.

The group had vowed to keep up the protest until they received payment.

American Resources Corp., which owns Quest, previously told news outlets the claims that workers haven’t been paid since Dec. 16 were untrue. The company blamed a “temporary blip” in the coal market.

Miners last summer in Harlan County held a similar protest when Blackjewel filed bankruptcy. The miners eventually were given a deal to be paid and let the train pass.