Union members at Nunavik Raglan mine reject offers, strike continues

The Glencore headquarters in Baar, Switzerland is photographed on April 14, 2011. -- FILE PHOTO (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keystone via AP Urs Flueeler)

The 630 Raglan Mine workers in Nunavik, Que., have rejected their employer's latest offers by 76.7 per cent. The strike, which has been going on for nearly eight weeks, is set to continue.

These workers, who are members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union affiliated with Quebec's Fonds de solidarité (FTQ), have been on strike since May 27.

For consultation purposes, union meetings had to be held in more than one city, since the workers come from out of town to work in this mining camp. They often work 21 days in a row for 11 hours a day.

The workers promise to intensify their mobilization in the coming days. In the past few weeks, they have already demonstrated near the airports from which workers leave for the Raglan Mine.

"Let the message from our members be heard at the head office: we are not afraid, we will not be intimidated and we will stand our ground until we get a negotiated settlement," said USW union representative Harold Arseneault on Wednesday.

These strikers have recently obtained financial support from other USW locals, notably from union members at the Bécancour aluminium smelter, where 1030 workers faced a lockout in 2018 and 2019.

Upon learning about the voting results, the employer said he was disappointed.

"We are disappointed with the outcome of the vote," said Pierre Barrette, vice president of Raglan Mine. "Our objective with this new offer was to provide our employees with working conditions that are among the best in the mining industry and to restart our activities as quickly as possible for the benefit of all, including our partners in Nunavik."

The dispute concerns salaries, vacations, the use of subcontractors, meal times and breaks.

The employer indicates that several mining activities are being maintained despite the strike. "They are being carried out by managers and contractors who were already performing work of the same nature before the beginning of the conflict, in accordance with the provisions of the Quebec Labour Code," the company stated.

The Raglan Mine is owned by the multinational Glencore. The workers extract nickel ore, as well as copper and cobalt.

This report was first published by The Canadian Press in French on July 20, 2022.