Striking miners to vote again

By CHANSE WATSON

Hagadone News Network

MULLAN — In a last-ditch effort to get a new deal together before the new year, representatives with United Steelworkers Union 5114 and Hecla Mining Company met to reach a new tentative agreement and end the ongoing labor strike at the Lucky Friday Mine.

Announced on their Facebook page, USW 5114 staff representative Tim Swallow said the two sides have once again reached agreement on a three-year contract. After defeating the previous tentative agreement 80-71 on Dec. 16, union miners will vote electronically this time, with results tabulated at 7 p.m. Jan. 6.

A simple majority vote of 50 percent plus 1 is needed for passage.

Union representatives say that in the new contract proposal, Hecla officials have agreed:

- to modify the November 2019 Strike Settlement Agreement language with respect to the physical exam and essential functions evaluation;

- to provide certain work accommodation assurances and dispute settlement provisions;

- to retain all other provisions previously negotiated, including the $1,000 signing bonus for all bargaining unit employees not separated from Hecla.

Union leadership added that “we, the USW and Local 5114, believe the proposed tentative agreement addresses the issues most important to our families and provides long-term security for our earnings, benefits and retirements that we need.”

Based on the released documents, the language in the new 30-page tentative agreement remains unchanged to the previous one.

In the next vote, USW 5114 will use BallotPoint, a voting service that provides electronic and telephone services.

After union members rejected the previous agreement, Coeur d’Alene-based Hecla Mining Company announced it would move forward without the union workers.

“We will now accelerate hiring and utilizing contractors with the goal of reaching full production by year-end 2020,” Hecla President and CEO Phillips S. Baker Jr. 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.”

According to USW, Hecla is free to hire permanent workers to replace striking ones due to the strike not being over “unfair labor practices.” The strike was originally launched under the category of unfair labor practices, but switched to “economic” reasons in May 2019.

The future of USW 5114 will also be brought into question if a deal is not reached soon. If the strike continues past the three-year mark (March 13, 2020), 30 percent or more of the bargaining unit (which includes striking unit members, former union members who crossed the strike line, and permanent replacement workers) may petition the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to decertify or remove the union completely.