End may be in sight for strike at British Columbia’s Mount Polley mine

Business in Vancouver | July 26, 2018 | 7:08 am Base Metals Canada Copper

Workers at Mount Polley. Image courtesy of Imperial Metals

An end to an eight-week long strike at the Mount Polley copper mine may be in sight, following a tentative agreement reached between the union and Imperial Metals (TSX:III).

Roughly 200 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union have been on strike since May. A collective agreement expired on December 31, 2017.

After reaching an “impasse” in renegotiation the contract, Imperial Metals locked workers out for a few hours, and they responded by walking out on May 23.

“We’re confident that we have found an agreement that resolves a number of our members’ concerns and protects what they have fought for,” said USW Local 1-2017 spokesman Sean Ball.

Union members will vote on the agreement next week.

Imperial continued processing low-grade stockpiled ore throughout the strike but had ceased all mining.