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Louisville, Ky. • Coal giant Murray Energy says it's not expecting to lay off any of the 4,400 miners in six states, including Utah, who recently received notice that they could lose their jobs.
A news release from the St. Clairsville, Ohio, company says "no layoffs are contemplated or expected at this time."
CEO Bob Murray told The Associated Press on Thursday that the company is trying to fend off bankruptcy in a sluggish coal market.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies to give a 60-day notice if a massive layoff is possible. Workers received the notices on June 29 in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia.
Murray says the company has to make two major debt payments to stay in business.
He says officials are doing "everything in our power" to avoid layoffs.