MULLAN — The longest mining strike in Silver Valley history will continue after Monday’s narrow defeat of a contract proposal.

The United Steelworkers Union 5114 chapter rejected the contract that had been agreed upon by their leadership and Coeur d’Alene-based Hecla Mining Company, 80-71.

Luke Russell, Hecla’s vice president of external affairs, expressed his disappointment Monday night.

“We are very disappointed that the union members voted to not ratify the agreement that was reached by the negotiating committees,” he said. “That was after some 44 months of negotiation if you look at it from the time they’ve been on strike and 11 months that negotiations were occurring before they went on strike.”

With the agreement voted down, Hecla President and CEO Phillips S. Baker Jr. said in a news release that the company plans to move forward on the Lucky Friday Mine without the union workers.

“We will now accelerate hiring and utilizing contractors with the goal of reaching full production by year-end 2020,” Baker said. “While we would have preferred ratification of the agreement reached by the two negotiating committees, after three years of negotiating we believe the best interests of the company and community is the Lucky Friday in full operation.”

A ramp-up to full production was mentioned by Baker Jr. during the company’s 2019 Third Quarter Financial Results conference call on Nov. 7, but it was explained under the assumption that the tentative agreement would have passed.

As for future negotiations between the two sides, Russell said Hecla would be open to talking.

“Certainly, we would be willing, if they have ideas, to of course sit down with them,” he said.

USW 5114 president Dave Roose and USW Sub-district 3 Director Steve Powers could not be reached for comment.

As of Dec. 17, the union miners at the Lucky Friday will have been on strike for 1,010 days and counting.