Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Kopper Glo, a coal company based in the heart of the Appalachian region that bought out Blackjewel’s assets in southeastern Kentucky, allegedly laid off a number of miners hired back after Blackjewel filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the summer.

State Representative Angie Hatton said miners told her the company idled its business until Dec. 26 at the latest. More than 100 miners are employed by Kopper Glo.

“I can only imagine how devastating that is,” she said. “We’ve all been through it. We’ve all gone through unexpected layoffs, and it’s just extra devastating being so close to Christmastime.”

Leslie Bledsoe, founder of With Love from Harlan, told the Enterprise around noon on Friday she had begun receiving messages from miners and their families concerned about the layoffs occurring.

It was later learned the company has only laid off its hourly paid employees.

Kopper Glo officials state approximately 100 miners will likely be rehired after the holidays if the company can sell its coal reserves.