Workers file strike notice at Kemess

Vancouver — Some 300 unionized employees at the Kemess copper-gold mine in northern British Columbia have serve strike notice.

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 115 representing production and maintenance workers at the mine plan to stop working Tuesday, April 23 unless a settlement can be reached with mine operator, Northgate Exploration (NGX-T). The workers have been without a contract since the end of 2001.

“The company is working diligently to negotiate an acceptable contract with the Union prior to the deadline,” says Ken Stow, president of Kemess Mines, a subsidiary of Northgate.

Northgate posted a loss of $9.9 million last year as low metals prices offset improved operating results at the Kemess South open pit mine. The operation produced 277,000 oz of gold and 66 million lbs of copper in 2001. Kemess is expected to produce an average of 260,000 oz of gold and 75 million lbs of copper annually over its remaining eight-year mine life.