July 21, 2026 - Retired mine workers protested in Vincennes, Indiana after learning Peabody Energy plans to end a retirement health care benefit program, a move they say will upend their finances and retirement plans.

Several former employees gathered at Gregg Park to discuss the change and call for community support. They told News 10 they received letters from Peabody notifying them the program would be terminated in about five months.

“I spent more time with these guys right here, than I did my own family,” said Brian Blinn, who worked at Bear Run for 35 years.

Blinn said the decision is “devastating” for his family as they deal with new medical concerns. “Life-changing. I mean how am I going to do this,” he said, adding his wife was recently diagnosed with liver failure.

Stan Mathison said his family’s plans were built around those benefits. “My wife just retired probably two weeks ago… we thought we had enough money in these specific accounts, to cover her insurance premiums until she was 65 years old,” he said.

Others said they aren’t surprised. Don Wright, a 25-year employee, said he’s frustrated by what he described as a contradiction between government support and benefit cuts. “The thing that bothered me the most is how much government funding they also get from grants… and the same time they are getting money from our taxes, they’re cutting our insurance,” Wright said.

Some protesters said losing the benefit could mean sacrificing travel and time with family, including visits with grandchildren. Others pointed to past industry bankruptcies and benefit reductions as reasons they worry about what could happen next.

“They tried to do it to my parents in the late 80s, early 90s,” Gary Mihlfield said. “They did it to the union mine workers… where they put everything on Patriot Coal and then went bankrupt.”

Organizers said they plan to keep pushing back, including using billboards and future gatherings to raise awareness.

“We would love your support. We’re not going to give up,” Blinn said. “We’ve got billboards rented and we’re all gonna gather up and fight this to the end.”

In a statement to News 10, Peabody Energy said it decided to terminate the RMA program after reviewing its retirement health care benefits.

Peabody Energy Response:

“Following a recent assessment of our retirement health care benefits, Peabody determined that offering the RMA program is not aligned with market-competitive practices and made the decision to terminate the program,” the company said. “Peabody is providing advance notice to allow those affected time to plan and prepare, and we remain committed to supporting employees in their retirement planning.”