Members of the United Steelworkers of America Local 7884 have ratified an agreement with Fording Coal that will see increased wages for workers at the mine in Elkford, B.C.
Mine workers had been without a contract since April 2001 and have been on strike since July. Under the agreement, their salaries will increase by 12% over five years, and pensions and benefits will be improved.
“The agreement should go a long way toward building a better relationship at the mine, where our members want to continue making Fording Coal a strong and viable producer,” says Ken Neumann, the union’s director for western Canada.
The deal includes an “alternative dispute resolution plan,” aimed at improving relations with management. A mediator will hear up to 10 grievances per day and render decisions on each case. The process is designed to reduce the number of grievances by up to one-half.
The new agreement runs until April 30, 2006.
Fording Coal is one of five companies previously owned by Canadian Pacific that were spun off into separate entities.
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