Court Approves Deal Between Union, Bankrupt Coal Company

CASPER (AP) — A court has approved a deal allowing up to 30 workers to be rehired at a shuttered Montana coal mine to complete cleanup of the property near the Wyoming border.

The Decker mine stopped mining in January and laid off the vast majority of its workforce amid a sharp decline in demand for coal to generate electricity.

Michael Dalpiaz with United Mine Workers of America says union members have ratified the tentative agreement with Utah-based Lighthouse Resources Inc.

He says the union contract requires the firm to maintain health care with some very minor changes.