NTEC lays off 80 previously furloughed Antelope mine workers

GILLETTE — When he got the call Thursday, Aaron McAllister was hopeful he’d be going back to work nearly three months after being furloughed from the Antelope coal mine.

Instead, he got his severance package with the news that furloughs for himself and 79 other coal mine workers are now permanent layoffs.

“I had hopes we were actually going to go back to work today,” McAllister said Friday. “We were hopeful, because there’s nothing to lose, so you might as well be [optimistic].”

He and his girlfriend both worked at the mine located south of Wright in Campbell County and were both among 93 hour...