“We are devastated on behalf of the laid-off miners and their families, especially in light of the holiday season and the bad economy,” United Mine Workers of America District 12 vice-president Steve Earle said Tuesday.
“We have been working with the local union to secure leads on alternative job opportunities.”
It is not known what led to the lay-offs. Neither Springfield Coal nor the Macoupin County mine’s operator, Tri-County Coal, have released a public statement on the matter.
According to statistical data from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Crown III underground mine in Farmersville produced 1.36 million tons of bituminous coal in 2009 over more than 671,000 man hours.
