It has taken Gov. Jim Justice little time to depict federal regulators as anti-coal miner agents of economic distress, but it has taken Justice’s coal companies much longer to agree to pay fines for failing to keep their miners safe. U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., a Justice opponent in the 2024 Senate race, has criticized the Justice coal companies for their business troubles and failure to provide uninterrupted prescription drug coverage. But Mooney also has drawn scrutiny for treatment of workers: his own congressional staff.
A federal court’s judgment against Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies for lack of federally required notice to workers of mass job terminations has swelled above $1.9 million. The court’s 2023 judgment against Tams Management, Inc., Pay Car Mining, Inc., Bluestone Industries, Inc., Bluestone Resources, Inc., and Bluestone Coal Corporation followed an August 2022 jury trial finding in favor of former employee Jules Gautier. Gautier alleged the companies failed to provide 60-day notice required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before October 2019 layoffs at the Burke Mountain Mine Complex in McDowell County.
BECKLEY – The directors of a Virginia-based bank have asked a federal judge to dismiss them from a $1 billion lawsuit filed by Gov. Jim Justice, his wife, his son and 15 Justice family companies accusing them of illegally blocking the companies from doing business with other lenders.
BECKLEY – A Virginia-based bank is asking a federal judge to hold off on a request by the network of businesses owned by Gov. Jim Justice’s family to seal the case.
BECKLEY – Gov. Jim Justice, his wife, his son and 15 Justice family companies have filed a federal lawsuit against a Virginia-based bank and its board for more than $1 billion in damages.