Along the Gila: Mine Agreement At Last
The United Steelworkers announced last Thursday, September 21, that a collective bargaining agreement was ratified covering ASARCO copper mine operations in Arizona and Texas, including the Ray Mine and the Hayden Smelter. The agreement covers about 2,000 workers.
The agreement has been a long time coming. The original contract ended in June of 2013 but was extended until it was terminated in June, 2015. The workers stayed on the job without a contract while negotiations continued. The new agreement will expire on Nov. 30, 2018.
I haven’t read the agreement, but I understand there was some give and take. The miners will pay more of their insurance themselves, but the mine is restoring some of the bonuses. The short period of the agreement seems to bring a “breathing period” for both ASARCO and the unions to focus on a longer term agreement in the future.
