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14 July, 2005ICEM News Release No. 48/1999
The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) has won new collective bargaining agreements for several thousand miners in the United States and Canada.
At the global level, the USWA is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
USWA miners at three mines operated by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. have now ratified a new, five-year contract. The agreement covers wages and working conditions at the Empire and Tilden iron ore mines in Michigan and the Hibbing Taconite Mine in Minnesota.
In a joint statement, USWA District 11 Director Dave Foster and company spokesman Richard Novak said, "This is a very comprehensive agreement that provides for improvements in wages, pensions and other employee benefits and is patterned after agreements negotiated by US Steel and Bethlehem Steel companies."
Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest supplier of iron ore products to the North American steel industry.
USWA miners in Canada also have something to rejoice about. On August 29, workers at the Highland Valley copper mine in Kamloops, British Columbia, approved a new five-year agreement after a three-month shutdown.
Highland Valley, co-owned by a consortium of Cominco Ltd., Rio Algom Ltd., Teck Corp., and Highmont Mining, is Canada's largest open-pit base metals mine. The new agreement, which was brokered by a British Columbia government mediator, covers 1,100 members.
"We were able to negotiate a decent settlement that looks nothing like the company's original offer," said USWA official Steve Hunt. "The company started by calling for well over 50 concessions, most of which were designed to eliminate jobs. Instead, we were able to bargain improvements to the pension plan and wages. There is also a Job Protection Agreement that will ensure the mine stays open for the next five years as long as copper prices stay above 60 (US) cents per pound."
"The company's decision to shut down the mine was heartless," said USWA Western Canada Director Ken Neumann. "They toyed with the lives of people in several communities - Ashcroft, Merritt, Logan Lake and Kamloops. In the end, what did they gain? Economic blackmail should not be part of the bargaining process."
The USWA also reached a new agreement in mid-July at the Wabush Mines in Wabush, Labrador, covering 730 workers. The new five-year agreement improves workers' incomes and benefits. "This is an agreement that provides long-term stability both for the company and for the workers," said USWA Atlantic Coordinator Cal Luedee.
The USWA continues its negotiations with Inco Ltd. for a new contract covering 1,100 workers at the company's nickel mine operations in Thompson, Manitoba. The current agreement is set to expire on 15 September.
The union was buoyed by the recent rise in world nickel prices, but is angry at the company's latest contract proposal which asks for concessions by the miners.
"We certainly are in a hell of a lot of a better bargaining position than we were during the last round of bargaining," said Bob Desjarlais, president of USWA Local 6166 in Thompson. "We're in very good shape as far as the Steelworkers (USWA) are concerned."
The current agreement, which included substantial increases in wages and pensions, was reached in 1996 following a two-week lockout by Inco of its employees. Inco was also hit by a strike in June 1997 when 4,670 workers walked off the job at the company's Sudbury, Ontario operation. The strike was settled after four weeks.
Lawrence McBrearty, the USWA's National Director for Canada, said the union's recent good record in achieving settlements in the mining sector should send a message to non-union miners.
"The more members we have in the mining sector, the stronger position we are in at the bargaining table," McBrearty said. "We are actively organising miners in the far north, where we now represent some of world's most northern miners."
At the global level, the USWA is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
USWA miners at three mines operated by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. have now ratified a new, five-year contract. The agreement covers wages and working conditions at the Empire and Tilden iron ore mines in Michigan and the Hibbing Taconite Mine in Minnesota.
In a joint statement, USWA District 11 Director Dave Foster and company spokesman Richard Novak said, "This is a very comprehensive agreement that provides for improvements in wages, pensions and other employee benefits and is patterned after agreements negotiated by US Steel and Bethlehem Steel companies."
Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest supplier of iron ore products to the North American steel industry.
USWA miners in Canada also have something to rejoice about. On August 29, workers at the Highland Valley copper mine in Kamloops, British Columbia, approved a new five-year agreement after a three-month shutdown.
Highland Valley, co-owned by a consortium of Cominco Ltd., Rio Algom Ltd., Teck Corp., and Highmont Mining, is Canada's largest open-pit base metals mine. The new agreement, which was brokered by a British Columbia government mediator, covers 1,100 members.
"We were able to negotiate a decent settlement that looks nothing like the company's original offer," said USWA official Steve Hunt. "The company started by calling for well over 50 concessions, most of which were designed to eliminate jobs. Instead, we were able to bargain improvements to the pension plan and wages. There is also a Job Protection Agreement that will ensure the mine stays open for the next five years as long as copper prices stay above 60 (US) cents per pound."
"The company's decision to shut down the mine was heartless," said USWA Western Canada Director Ken Neumann. "They toyed with the lives of people in several communities - Ashcroft, Merritt, Logan Lake and Kamloops. In the end, what did they gain? Economic blackmail should not be part of the bargaining process."
The USWA also reached a new agreement in mid-July at the Wabush Mines in Wabush, Labrador, covering 730 workers. The new five-year agreement improves workers' incomes and benefits. "This is an agreement that provides long-term stability both for the company and for the workers," said USWA Atlantic Coordinator Cal Luedee.
The USWA continues its negotiations with Inco Ltd. for a new contract covering 1,100 workers at the company's nickel mine operations in Thompson, Manitoba. The current agreement is set to expire on 15 September.
The union was buoyed by the recent rise in world nickel prices, but is angry at the company's latest contract proposal which asks for concessions by the miners.
"We certainly are in a hell of a lot of a better bargaining position than we were during the last round of bargaining," said Bob Desjarlais, president of USWA Local 6166 in Thompson. "We're in very good shape as far as the Steelworkers (USWA) are concerned."
The current agreement, which included substantial increases in wages and pensions, was reached in 1996 following a two-week lockout by Inco of its employees. Inco was also hit by a strike in June 1997 when 4,670 workers walked off the job at the company's Sudbury, Ontario operation. The strike was settled after four weeks.
Lawrence McBrearty, the USWA's National Director for Canada, said the union's recent good record in achieving settlements in the mining sector should send a message to non-union miners.
"The more members we have in the mining sector, the stronger position we are in at the bargaining table," McBrearty said. "We are actively organising miners in the far north, where we now represent some of world's most northern miners."