Machinists at Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting in Flin Flon ratify a new 3-year agreement.

Members of IAM Local 1848 along with other unions at Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting in Flin Flon, Manitoba avoided binding Interest Arbitration by ratifying a tentative agreement reached January 9th. Voting on the Company's offer took place on January 17, 2003.

Under an agreement that calls for binding arbitration if the parties fail to reach an agreement, the HBM&S Unions were able to hammer out a deal that reversed a huge injustice to their pension plan. The deal, ordered by Arbitrator Hugh Jamieson, was put in place when the parties failed to reach an agreement in 2000. In that award the Arbitrator failed to allow for pension increases to be retroactive for all years’ service. This newly created multiple-benefit level scenario is unprecedented in the mining industry.

Says Brian Short, IAMAW Grand Lodge Representative, ”Our members wanted one thing fixed this time around - and that was the pension plan. By not making the last increase of $6.00 per month per year of service retroactive, meant a workforce that is predominantly long-service lost a great deal on their pension. A 20-year employee lost out on $120.00 per month pension.

“With that now fixed and new pension benefits negotiated, the basic pension benefit will see an increase of 30.75 %,” he added

Local 1848 has 180 dues-paying members working for Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting.

Unions involved in the coordinated bargaining and their ratification figures were IAMAW, Steelworkers, Carpenters Union, Boilermakers, Operating Engineers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

SOURCE:
Brian Short, Grand Lodge Representative, IAMAW