US judge rules Va. coal miners were fired without federally required warning

A federal judge is siding with about 100 miners who say they were fired without first receiving a federally required 60 day warning.

According to media reports, U.S. District Judge James Jones ruled Thursday and said the miners are owed damages.

The workers challenged their May 2013 dismissals. They worked at Nine Mile Mining, a unit of Southern Coal Corp.

The mine is affiliated with James C. Justice Cos., owned by Appalachian coal billionaire Jim Justice.

Jones ordered attorneys to come up with a settlement amount to be paid to the ex-workers.

Last month, Justice reached a $1.5 million settlement with Kentucky officials over dozens of violations at several of his coal mines in eastern Kentucky.