May 4, 2025 - Four former Buchanan County coal miners have filed a class action lawsuit against their former employer, alleging their terminations were in violation of federal law.

Joshua McCoy, Joey Hill, Timothy Vance and William Stiltner filed the lawsuit in federal court in Abingdon on behalf of themselves and approximately 140 employees who were terminated by Buchanan Minerals on April 28.

According to their complaint, the company operated six continuous miner units and two longwall units at its Buchanan County mine. However, the lawsuit alleges the company decided to shut down four of the continuous miner units on April 28, resulting in approximately 140 miners losing their jobs immediately.

The miners contend that each unit shut down qualifies as a “plant closure” under the federal WARN Act, which requires employees be given 60 days’ written notice before a plant closure resulting in mass layoffs.

The lawsuit seeks back pay and statutory damages for all of the miners who were terminated, as well as the miners’ legal costs.