Retirees Fight Alpha Plan to Eliminate Benefits

Alpha Natural Resources founder, chairman and CEO Michael J. Quillen and other retirees are objecting to a plan to terminate health care and other benefits. Retirees say they haven’t been provided sufficient time to analyze Alpha’s plan and respond. They asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond to delay a Nov. 17 hearing. Alpha asked the court on Nov. 3 to allow it to terminate the non-pension benefits of more than 4,500 non-union retirees, eligible spouses and dependents. Alpha filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 3. The company has operations in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.