A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a union representing mine workers that claimed retiree benefits were unfairly jeopardized by Patriot Coal Corp.'s bankruptcy filing last year, Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review reported today. U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin said in a ruling on Friday that Peabody Energy Corp. and Arch Coal Inc. didn't violate the Employee Retirement Income Security Act when they transferred the retiree liabilities to Patriot, which took on assets spun off from Peabody and Arch in 2007 and 2008. The United Mine Workers of America sued Peabody and Arch in October on behalf of more than 10,000 retirees and workers, seeking to hold the companies accountable for the benefits promised to their retirees but assigned to Patriot in the spinoff.
