Trump campaigned as a champion of coal miners, but Mitch McConnell refuses to rescue their pension

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Josh Marshall Retweeted
Steven Greenhouse ‏@greenhousenyt 9h9 hours ago

Time for Mr. Coal Minor savior to step up and make some deals with these Congresscritters. My guess he will not.




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Trump campaigned as a champion of coal miners, but Mitch McConnell refuses to rescue their pension & health benefits
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/opinion/retired-coal-miners-losing-their-safety-net.html?ref=opinion

The Opinion Pages | Editorial
Retired Coal Miners Losing Their Safety Net

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

NOV. 28, 2016

Credit Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

The troubled coal industry, which stirred such great political concern during the presidential campaign, is about to take on a decidedly human dimension in the Senate. A bipartisan push is underway there to rescue the failing pension and health benefits of thousands of retired union coal miners. Their benefit plans have become severely underfunded during the industry’s downturn, as coal companies declare bankruptcy and renege on obligations to workers at a time when there are fewer young miners to contribute support.

One by one, hard-pressed coal companies have been bailing out on contract promises. The latest, Patriot Coal’s benefit fund, told 12,500 retirees last month that their health coverage will stop on Dec. 31. More than 10,000 other retired workers face similar cutoffs over the next year, according to the Senate sponsors of an emergency rescue plan. It would tap into funds from an existing mine cleanup program in order to bolster union health and retirement plans with an estimated contribution of $220 million a year...............