The owner of the Gibraltar copper mine’s operations in central British Columbia announced Sunday that it has reached a tentative deal with the striking union.
More than 500 workers at Canada’s second largest open-pit copper mine, located about 200 kilometres south of Prince George, have been on strike since June 1. Their union, Unifor Local 3018, said at the time that Vancouver-based Taseko Mines Limited had “refused to negotiate basic terms of a new collective agreement.”
Now, Taseko Mines says in a press release the two sides have struck a tentative agreement, but the deal still needs to be approved by union members.
Mario Santos, Unifor’s B.C. area director and national mining director, told CBC News Vancouver the union will soon be going over the details with workers. He said voting is expected to take place over the next two days, and the union should know the result by around 10 p.m. Tuesday PT.
“The bargaining committee is recommending the deal,” Santos said. “They’re saying it’s a good deal, but they also recognize that it’s going to be up for the membership to decide.”
If workers approve the deal, Taseko Mines said in the press release that they expect to resume operations Wednesday. The company, which is the largest employer in the region, declined to comment further.
Following the strike vote earlier this month, Taseko Mines said it suspended the mining and milling operations at the site, though essential staff have remained on site to maintain critical systems.