More than 500 workers have walked off the job at the Gibraltar copper mine in central British Columbia, about 200 kilometres south of Prince George.
Unifor says its Local 3018 members voted to strike because Vancouver-based Taseko Mines Limited, the operation’s owner “refused to negotiate basic terms of a new collective agreement.”
A news release from the union says contract negotiations began in February and have involved “many hours of meetings.”
No agreement had been reached when the workers’ latest contract expired on Friday.
The release says Unifor Local 3018 represents about 550 workers at the mine, the second largest open-pit copper mine in Canada and the largest employer in the region.
Taseko Mines also issued a release, saying operations have been suspended at the mine.
“The company elected to systematically shut down mining and milling operations prior to the midnight deadline, and the mine is now on care and maintenance with only essential staff operating and maintaining critical systems,” said Stuart McDonald, Taseko’s president and CEO.
“The company remains committed to the bargaining process and reaching a fair and equitable agreement.”
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— with files from The Canadian Press