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Talks scheduled as Mount Polley Mine strike enters seventh week

In its seventh week of a legal strike the USW 1-2017 is hoping talks with the company this week will see something develop
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United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 says it has meetings scheduled with Mount Polley Mining Corp. this week in Williams Lake. The union is entering its seventh week of a legal strike at the mine. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo

Seven weeks into its legal strike at Mount Polley Mine the union representing 220-plus workers is hopeful meetings scheduled in Williams Lake this week will see results.

“This will be our second round of meetings, we met with the company a few weeks ago in Vancouver, but nothing developed, but they are going to meet again tomorrow and Wednesday,” said United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 business agent Dan Wil Monday.

Workers began a legal strike on May 23 after a three-hour lockout by Mount Polley Mining Corp. earlier that morning.

Since then pickets lines have been manned 24/7 and presently there are three set up at Bootjack Road, Gavin Lake Road and the Ditch Road.

Read more: Mount Polley Mine strike stretches into third week

Morale has been “OK”, Wil said.

“Week seven on the picket line, it wears on people, so hopefully this week something will develop.”

The mine’s labour agreement with the union expired on Dec. 31, 2017.

In a bulletin posted on the union’s website, the local thanked the public for bringing “delicious homemade buns, bread, chili and lasagna to feed people on the picket line.

A call has gone into the mine’s manager for a comment



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Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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