THUNDER BAY — Workers who perform surface maintenance at the Musselwhite gold mine, 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, are now represented by the United Steelworkers union.
The USW announced Wednesday that employees of Big Beaver House Partnership Limited voted 100 per cent in favour of joining the union.
The mine, a fly-in/fly-out operation, was recently acquired by Orla Mining in a transaction with Newmont Corporation.
It has business agreements with First Nations groups, including Kingfisher and Wunnumin Lake First Nations which operate Big Beaver House. The company provides yard services, landfill management and above-ground equipment operation.
The union did not reveal how many workers are in the bargaining unit, telling Newswatch this is for "privacy reasons."
Bargaining dates have not yet been scheduled, but the USW said it anticipates negotiations will commence soon.
"As always, bargaining priorities will be shaped by the workers' concerns and experiences, including fair compensation, job security, and strong health and safety language," it said.
