Peabody amends agreement with UMWA on Patriot retiree healthcare
Published by Harleigh Hobbs,
Editor
World Coal,
Peabody Energy has amended elements of its 2013 agreement with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) to resolve outstanding Patriot retiree healthcare benefit issues.
Since 2013, Peabody has contributed US$165 million in healthcare funds to a Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association (VEBA) as part of a three-party agreement involving the UMWA and Patriot Coal. While Peabody has met its obligations under this agreement, Patriot breached the agreement, which left unclear Peabody's ongoing funding requirements to the VEBA.
Subsequently, Peabody has agreed to pay US$75 million to the VEBA in equal monthly instalments as of 4 January 2016, subject to court approval.
The remaining instalments will be made at the start of each successive month with Peabody's obligations to the VEBA to end by October 2016. Such payments would terminate early if VEBA participants can begin to receive an alternative form of healthcare benefits from new legislation. Peabody's payments for retiree healthcare under the Coal Act remain unchanged.
The company is pleased to have reached this new agreement to resolve uncertainty for UMWA participants related to Patriot.
It is reported that this agreement will improve Peabody's expected 2017 cash flows by US$70 million.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/05012016/peabody-amends-agreement-with-umwa-on-patriot-retiree-healthcare-8/
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