Hudbay mechanics and machinists are ready to hit the picket line if ongoing talks with the company fail to address their contractual concerns.
Members of the IAM Local 1848 union voted 97 per cent in favour of a strike on Tuesday.
The vote does not mean a strike is a certainty, only that IAM members now have that option. IAM has said the earliest a strike could begin is April 21.
Tuesday’s voting ended at 8:30 pm. Turnout among the 190 IAM members based in Flin Flon and Snow Lake was 94 per cent.
IAM scheduled the strike vote after union negotiators were disappointed by concilliation talks held last month.
“We still believe a contract that addresses our members’ concerns can and will be reached,” said Rene Beauchamp, president of the union, at the time the strike vote was scheduled. “The fact that management will not put forward their monetary package leaves the IAM with little choice. We must do everything in our power to get management to negotiate.”
Beauchamp said additional concilliation meetings are scheduled for April 14.
Rob Winton, head of Hudbay’s Manitoba operations, has said the company wants a fair deal with employees.
Beauchamp has said IAM’s top priority is to recruit, train and retain Hudbay’s tradespeople.
See The Reminder’s print edition this Friday, March 20, for more on this story.
