Labour deal close at Highland Valley Copper Mine

The strike at Highland Valley Copper Mine in British Columbia could soon be over, local media is reporting.

Kamloops This Week reported that a late-night bargaining session between Teck Resources and United Steelworkers has resulted in a tentative collective agreement. The mine’s 1100 employees voted 99.5% in favour of a strike on Wednesday.

Employees will vote on the deal on Oct. 12 and 16.  Wages, pensions and benefits are the main sticking points.

The Highland Valley Copper mine is the largest copper mine in Canada and one of the largest copper mining and concentrating operations in the world. Earlier this month Teck announced a $475 million upgrade of its 40-year-old Highland Valley mill to bring it in line with the mine’s 2025 end of life, and a separate $210 million investment at a BC lead and zinc operation.