March 23, 2009 (FinancialWire) -- Westmoreland Coal Co. (AMEX: WLB) said that the represented employees of its Western Energy Co. unit's Rosebud Mine chose to impose a work stoppage, to begin at midnight on March 20.

Following several weeks of negotiations, the represented employees rejected a tentative agreement that Western Energy said offered increases in wages and benefits. The represented employees had continued to work under the terms of the previous collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 400, which expired on February 28.

The company said expects open communication between the parties and negotiations to continue.

Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal is a coal company and a developer of independent power projects. The company's coal operations include coal mining in the Powder River Basin in Montana and lignite mining operations in Montana, North Dakota and Texas.

Its current power operations include ownership and operation of the two-unit ROVA coal-fired power plant in North Carolina.

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