Following seven weeks of negotiations, Rio Tinto and unions representing approximately 1,300 employees at the Kennecott copper operation in Bingham Canyon near Salt Lake City have reached a new collective bargaining agreement.
The new five-year agreement was ratified through a vote held on March 31 among members of the United Steelworkers, International Union of Operating Engineers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers unions. The agreement took effect April 1.
The new contract includes gains for workers that include lump sum payments, wage increases in each year as well as other contract improvements and it maintains and improves health and life insurance benefits, according to United Steel Workers District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott. Prescott, who co-chaired the negotiations, said that workers stood together to demand the fair contract they have earned.
“Members of four different unions showed tremendous solidarity throughout the bargaining process,” Prescott said. “Together, we sent management the unmistakable message that union workers would settle for nothing less than the opportunity to continue improving the standard of living for ourselves and our families.”
“We are very pleased that the new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified by Rio Tinto Kennecott’s union members,” said Gaby Poirier, Rio Tinto Kennecott managing director. “We have worked closely and productively with the unions to reach this agreement, which is fair and competitive, benefits our employees and their families and enables us to grow as a business. The agreement will ensure that we can continue to provide competitive wages and benefits for all roles and will allow Kennecott to pursue an exciting future as a leading domestic copper supplier in the United States.”
The Kennecott copper mine employs more than 2,000 workers and contributes $1.6 billion annually to Utah’s economy.