NEW YORK—(ENEWSPF)—October 9, 2015. Last week Patriot Coal attempted to take $18 million of the $22 million put aside to cover the healthcare obligations for retired Squaw Creek coal miners and their families and use it to pay its lawyers instead. Hillary Clinton strongly criticized the proposal and late last night, the bankruptcy court approved a revised bankruptcy plan that protects the benefits the miners have earned and deserve. In response to this development, Hillary Clinton released the following statement:
“It is a major relief that these miners are going to keep their benefits, but it never should have taken a public outcry for Patriot Coal to do the right thing. Ensuring healthcare and retirement security should be the first priority when a company goes bankrupt and Americans lose their jobs, not the last.
“We must honor our commitments to the coal miners who put their own health and safety at risk to help power the American economy. The United Mine Workers have fought tirelessly for their members throughout the Patriot bankruptcy proceedings. And with the help of Senators Manchin, Capito, Casey and Brown, these efforts to safeguard the pensions and healthcare of all coal miners would continue through the bipartisan Miners Protection Act. I applaud their leadership and as President I will work to guarantee that coal miners and their families will get the benefits they have earned and deserve.”
Source: www.hillaryclinton.com
