Thousand of Tri-state Coal Miners May Lose Their Pensions

Tens of thousands of Patriot Coal Miners say their pensions and retirement funds are in jeopardy. The United Mine Workers of America is in Evansville meeting with Patriot Coal Workers throughout the tri-state in an attempt to save their benefits. Patriot Coal Company field bankruptcy last month and closed its Freedom Mine in Henderson earlier this summer. Workers are fearful of losing not only their healthcare but possibly their lives. Patriot is a spin off company of Peabody Energy. Many tri-state coal miners worked for Peabody,  but their retirement benefits are funneled through Patriot, and many of these workers are afraid they will lose those benefits if Patriot's bankruptcy claim to stop paying for healthcare is successful, even though they never really worked for Patriot Coal. A cancer survivor, a father, and a retiree, Bil Musgrave worked for 20 plus years at Squaw Creek Mine in Warrick County. He's one of many rallying behind United Mine Workers of America to fight for their pensions. The United Mine Workers say Patriot plans to ask for relief at a bankruptcy hearing. Miners are fired up. Here's the numbers, about 2,000 mine workers currently work at Patriot mines throughout the tri-state and West Virginia. In total Patriot insures  22,000 plus miners and their families nationwide. Its a fight for stability, but for some its a fight to stay alive. We've made calls to Patriot Coal but a representative says the company declines to comment. The bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for September 11th in New York, United Mine Workers say they'll ask for a venue to change to West Virginia, one place they say real coal miners work and live.