By Lori L. Riley, Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Scott Wilson, 45, of Farmington, faced extra challenges in September when he was laid off from his job as a coal miner at the Blacksville, W.Va., mine.
He had been employed as a longwall shieldman with Monongalia Co. Coal Resources Inc., since 2014.
Since his layoff, Wilson has filed seven claims to receive unemployment and has called the help line countless times, but has yet to receive any payments.
However, Wilson hasn’t been dealing with Workforce West Virginia for his unemployment claims. He’s been filing through the state of Pennsylvania.
The location of the mine was Blacksville, W.Va., but because Wilson entered the mine through a portal in Kuhntown, Pa., his job’s location was classified as Pennsylvania.
Wilson knew there would likely be a week or two delay before he received his first payment, so he didn’t panic. But when the second week stretched into the third, he became concerned.
“I knew this [mine closing] was going to happen, so for the last six months or so, I had been limiting my spending and paying down some bills,” Wilson said…
