Locked Out Uranium Mine Employees Get New Contract

Locked Out Uranium Mine Employees Get New Contract

Wednesday, June 11, 2003 at 16:00

About 100 locked out workers at 2 northern uranium mines have ratified a new contract agreement with the mine’s owner.

Cogema Resources locked out the workers at the McClean Lake and Cluff Lake mines on Friday after the union served the company with a 72-hour strike notice.

The union bargaining committee had recommended acceptance of two earlier offers, but those were turned down by the workers.

The new deal was approved by 89 per cent of the affected workers. Cogema spokesman Alun Richards says like the old offer, the new deal calls for a 10.5 per cent wage increase over 3 years, retroactive to June 2002. However, Richards says the deal approved by the workers also calls for a few more concessions from the company, including higher premiums paid to workers that work night shifts.

The work stoppage halted operations at the McClean Lake mill.

Richards says the locked out workers will be flown back to both affected mine sites over the next couple of days.