B.C. copper mine workers ratify contract ending 18-day strike
Workers had walked off the job on June 1; new 3-year contract contract includes 13% pay hike
Workers at the Gibraltar copper mine operated by Taseko Mines in central B.C. have ratified a new contract.
About 550 workers at the second-largest open-pit copper mine in Canada have been on strike since June 1.
Unifor Local 3018 says workers have now ratified a new contract, bringing their 17-day strike to an end.
The union says the three-year agreement includes a 13 per cent wage increase and clarifies drug testing policies and discipline processes at the mine.
"Gibraltar mine is an economic powerhouse in the region, and the community will realize benefits from this collective agreement for years to come," said Unifor Western regional director Gavin McGarrigle in a statement.
The company said earlier that if workers approved the tentative deal struck on Sunday, it would resume operations Wednesday.
The company said it had suspended mining and milling operations at the site after the strike vote, though essential staff have remained on site to maintain critical systems.