Miners in Gibraltar can look forward to a 13 percent pay rise over three years after unions and employers ratified a new collective agreement on June 18.
Workers began striking on June 1 and were most visible along Highway 97 at Macalister. The mine has been in maintenance mode since the strike began, with only essential personnel operating and maintaining critical systems.
“Unifor members in Williams Lake successfully negotiated a collective agreement that reflects their important contribution to the success of Taseko,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a press release. “The bargaining committee demonstrated great leadership in demanding new equal opportunity practices. The members’ solid support for their committee during this 18-day strike was critical to its success.”
In addition to the pay increase, the union said the contract also provides for a women’s representative in the workplace who advocates for equal rights and recognizes the exemption for indigenous practices in federal labor law. Local 3018 has also succeeded in bringing clarity and fairness to the drug testing process and providing additional transparency during the disciplinary process, it said.
“The Gibraltar mine is an economic driver in the region and the community will benefit from this collective agreement for many years to come,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director.
Taseko owns and operates the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine. It is Canada’s second largest open pit copper mine and the largest employer in the Cariboo region.
Local 3018 represents 550 workers at the copper mine north of Williams Lake in British Columbia. Unifor is Canada’s largest private sector union.
