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Hudbay, union locals begin discussing "the bump" for layoffs, Flin Flon/Snow Lake moves

Talks underway with four organizations, USW talks start in new year: Hudbay
YIR 1 Hudbay
The headframe of Hudbay's 777 mine, located in Flin Flon.

Hudbay says discussions have started with several local unions on who will be moved from Flin Flon to Snow Lake and who will be laid off in the coming year.

The company says it plans to discuss the “bump” with six area union groups - International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local 1848, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1405, Carpenters Union Local 1614, Boilermakers Union Local 451 and United Steelworkers (USW) Locals 7106 and 9338 - in the coming months, with talks already underway with four locals. Hudbay and those groups all reached terms earlier this year on a series of three-and-a-half year contracts.

According to an internal Hudbay memo obtained by The Reminder, bump discussions are underway with IAM, IBEW and the Boilermakers’ and Carpenters’ unions, but discussions won’t start with the USW locals until early next year.

“Based on the sequence in which the CBAs were ratified with our unions, some of these conversations were able to commence sooner than others,” reads the company’s latest employee update, signed off on by Hudbay Manitoba Business Unit vice-president Rob Assabgui. The update is dated Dec. 9.

However, conversations with the two USW locals will not start in earnest until after New Years’, according to the Hudbay statement and no further updates have been given regarding the bump.

“It is essential that we gather additional details about the uptake of these opportunities prior to proceeding with the next series of discussions. To that end, meetings with USW 7106 and USW 9338 about the future state positions will commence in early 2022,” reads the statement.

“This is necessary to ensure both clarity and certainty so decisions can be made using the most recent and relevant information. At this time, unfortunately, there are too many moving pieces to provide specific details on the bump.”

In layman’s terms, the “bump” refers to how jobs will be moved from Flin Flon-area Hudbay operations to Snow Lake, based on seniority

In a statement issued last week, USW Local 7106 said an internal union committee had finished a second pass of the bump and had presented it to Hudbay, but accused the company of not honouring a commitment to provide answers on the company’s transition before the end of 2021. Local 7106 also said the company had not yet notified people who might be affected by the bump.

Hudbay continues to plan to shut down most of its Flin Flon-area operations next year, including 777 mine, the zinc plant and Flin Flon mill. The company’s tailings facility, located on the company’s compound northwest of uptown straddling the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border, will be put on “care and maintenance”. The company plans to move its Flin Flon workforce from around 785 workers in Flin Flon to 50 by 2023, while moving staff members from Flin Flon to Snow Lake operations and cutting dozens of workers from its Manitoba operations.

“As you are aware, in 2022, our operations in Flin Flon will cease once the 777 mine reserves are depleted. This will result in the closure of the Flin Flon mill, zinc plant and utilities, with operations increasing in Snow Lake to support a 5,300 tpd [tonnes per day] mining plan,” reads the Hudbay statement, signed by Assabgui.

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