VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) – Retired mine workers protested in Vincennes after learning Peabody Energy plans to end a retirement health care benefit program, a move they say will upend their finances and retirement plans.<\/p>\n
Several former employees gathered at Gregg Park to discuss the change and call for community support. They told News 10 they received letters from Peabody notifying them the program would be terminated in about five months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent more time with these guys right here, than I did my own family,\u201d said Brian Blinn, who worked at Bear Run for 35 years.<\/p>\n
Blinn said the decision is \u201cdevastating\u201d for his family as they deal with new medical concerns. \u201cLife-changing. I mean how am I going to do this,\u201d he said, adding his wife was recently diagnosed with liver failure.<\/p>\n
Stan Mathison said his family\u2019s plans were built around those benefits. \u201cMy wife just retired probably two weeks ago\u2026 we thought we had enough money in these specific accounts, to cover her insurance premiums until she was 65 years old,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Others said they aren\u2019t surprised. Don Wright, a 25-year employee, said he\u2019s frustrated by what he described as a contradiction between government support and benefit cuts. \u201cThe thing that bothered me the most is how much government funding they also get from grants\u2026 and the same time they are getting money from our taxes, they\u2019re cutting our insurance,\u201d Wright said.<\/p>\n
Some protesters said losing the benefit could mean sacrificing travel and time with family, including visits with grandchildren. Others pointed to past industry bankruptcies and benefit reductions as reasons they worry about what could happen next.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey tried to do it to my parents in the late 80s, early 90s,\u201d Gary Mihlfield said. \u201cThey did it to the union mine workers\u2026 where they put everything on Patriot Coal and then went bankrupt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizers said they plan to keep pushing back, including using billboards and future gatherings to raise awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would love your support. We\u2019re not going to give up,\u201d Blinn said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got billboards rented and we\u2019re all gonna gather up and fight this to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement to News 10, Peabody Energy said it decided to terminate the RMA program after reviewing its retirement health care benefits.<\/p>\n
Peabody Energy Response:<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing a recent assessment of our retirement health care benefits, Peabody determined that offering the RMA program is not aligned with market-competitive practices and made the decision to terminate the program,\u201d the company said. \u201cPeabody is providing advance notice to allow those affected time to plan and prepare, and we remain committed to supporting employees in their retirement planning.\u201d<\/p>\n
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