New year brings layoffs for state miners, Union official says employees weren't given notice of cuts

The new year has translated into job layoffs for more than 150Southern West Virginia coal miners.

Employees at three West Virginia operations owned by AddingtonEnterprises Inc. of Ashland, Ky., were notified of layoffs lastWednesday, United Mine Workers District 17 President Bob Phalen saidMonday.

Addington purchased the operations during 1998, Phalen said.Members of the union mine committee at Addington's Marrowbone minein Mingo County were summoned to a meeting with the company at 10:30p.m. Wednesday, Phalen said.At the meeting, the company told the union it was cuttingproduction from about 4 million tons a year to about 2.5 milliontons. The plans included the …