Alliance Resource Partners Closing Its Pattiki Coal Mine, Illinois
[Click image to enlarge]
The Pattiki Coal Mine in White County will shut down in the next couple months, leaving hundreds in the area unemployed.
A spokesperson for White County Coal told News 3 that “In response to the continuing uncertainty in the coal market, the plant will cease production for the fourth quarter of 2016.”
That leaves the more than 300 people working at the mine without a job.
“You automatically start thinking about how you’re going to provide for your family,” explained Michael Tucker.
Tucker is one of the many people left with some big decisions to make.
“Do you stick around and wait it out and hope maybe they can transfer you? Do you start looking for another job elsewhere? Do you jump out of the coal industry all together right now? Yeah, there’s a lot of big decisions,” added Tucker.
Tucker says employees were called into a meeting Friday to hear the news production will shut down, many of them leaving right after.
Others in the community, like Josh Brown, worry about loved ones who depend on the plant to make a living.
“Yeah, it’s going to be hard on her because she’s been out there for several years too I don’t know how she’d make it,” added Brown.
Tucker’s number one priority is figuring out how to provide for his family, but he’s also worried about his coworkers who he calls his second family.
“I’d say the overall consensus for a lot of them was go home, enjoy the weekend and Monday really start trying to worry about it and pick up the pieces,” added Tucker.
Something Tucker calls hard to do.
“Finding another job that pays as well as this one as well as the insurance we have is very good, so finding that type of pay and insurance around here is near impossible,” explained Brown.
But for miners facing layoffs there’s still hope.
Miners looking for work at the Pattiki Mine don’t have to travel far. Just a couple hundred feet from where the mine is, S & L Industries out of Clay, Kentucky has already posted hiring signs.
They’re a contracting company and they have openings in both Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky.
Source: (September 16, 2016) WSILtv.com
To stop by Alliance Resource Partners website, CLICK HERE
Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!
FREE eNews delivery service to your email twice-weekly. With a focus on lead-driven news, our news service will help you develop new business contacts on an on-going basis.
CLICK HERE to register your email address.
