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Jonathon Naylor Editor A Hudbay trades union has gone from threatening a strike to signing on the dotted line, granting the company labour peace in northern Manitoba until the end of 2014. Members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1848 on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new three-year contract. 'We definitely think it was a good deal, circumstances prevailing,' said Rene Beauchamp, IAM president. Like other Hudbay unions, IAM members receive a three per cent raise each year for three years, retroactive to Jan. 1. Certified members will go up six pay increments. Apprentices will start at a higher wage and other members will go up four pay increments. 'Everyone in our union was taken care of very well,' Beauchamp said. The lengthy negotiations between IAM and Hudbay involved some give and take, with the union unable to obtain all of the terms it initially sought. IAM agreed, for instance, to have all new company-funded apprentices commit to Hudbay for four or five years _ depending on their chosen trade _ after graduation. 'We really had no choice with the apprenticeship deal,' said Beauchamp. 'Every other union accepted it, but we made some pretty good advancements with it.' Improvements Beauchamp said improvements for apprentices include money for books and a doubling of their bonus _ up to $2,000 _ for staying with Hudbay for a year after finishing school. Better still, Beauchamp said, apprentices will receive full-time pay while going to school, meaning they no longer have to draw from employment insurance. See 'Existing...' on pg.9 Continued from pg.1 'Basically (going) on unemployment, it's like a loan,' he said. 'You have to pay it back if you make too much money, which a lot of guys were having to do. So now there's no worries for the apprentices. It's full pay.' While all new apprentices must commit to Hudbay for the same length of time as their apprenticeships, apprentices already in the system have a choice. Those apprentices can opt out of the commitment and forego new perks in the contract, except for the three per cent raise, but retain the right to leave Hudbay at any point after graduation. Meanwhile, Beauchamp said there is now an agreement whereby the IAM and Hudbay will meet regularly to maximize the use of employees and minimize the use of contractors. IAM further resolved concerns over workers being bumped out of their jobs despite having the appropriate seniority, with Beauchamp declaring that 'seniority is going to be the way it's supposed to be.' IAM also took issue with the so-called Snow Lake premium, an extra $2.50 an hour paid to workers in Snow Lake as long as they don't live in company-funded housing. Beauchamp said the union succeeded in getting the premium paid to workers while they are on holidays. This alleviates its worry that senior employees would be shortchanged since their holiday time would have them spend less time in Snow Lake than newer workers. Other improvements for workers include increases to the pension plan, better health coverage and an agreement from both sides that the 2012 no-strike clause is now over, Beauchamp said. Brad Lantz, vice-president of Hudbay's Manitoba business unit, said a mediator helped both sides agree on several issues. 'The agreement satisfied the IAM and fit within the agreements that Hudbay had already agreed to with the other unions that had ratified the new agreement,' he said. Over the summer, IAM had threatened a strike vote over stalled negotiations, but Hudbay disputed the union's right to walk off the job prior to the end of 2014. Monday's vote, held at the Steel Centre union headquarters, saw 84 per cent of members vote to ratify the new deal. Beauchamp said other Hudbay trades unions will benefit from the upgrades secured by IAM through their 'me too' clauses. He said IAM continues to have concerns with such clauses 'because the other unions don't have to negotiate' for the same contractual changes. With 176 members, IAM is the second largest Manitoba union at Hudbay behind United Steelworkers Local 7106.
