BCFED calls on members not to handle Highland Valley Copper product amid strike

The BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) is escalating the pressure in the nearly two week old strike at the Highland Valley Copper Mine near Logan Lake.

The central organization for organized labour in B.C. issued a hot edict backing United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7619 members, who walked off the job on Oct. 24. BCFED says the edict is meant to put pressure on the mine’s owner, Teck Resources, for them to reach a fair collective agreement.

BCFED president Sussanne Skidmore said the edict calls on affiliated unions and their members to not handle copper concentrate, molybdenum concentrate and other mineral products and by-products linked to Highland Valley Copper until the labour dispute is resolved.

“A hot edict is an exceptional step to take. But it’s become clear this employer believes they can wait out their workers and operate around this strike and B.C.’s anti-scab law,” Skidmore said. “And it’s up to all of us to show them how wrong they are.”

The more than 1,200 workers at Highland Valley Copper are prepared for the long haul as they push for better pay and pension protection. USW Local 7619 also wants Teck Resources to resolve health and safety issues and to address its ability to attract and retain skilled workers.

Workers have been without a contract since Sept. 30 after their previous five-year contract – which was ratified following a strike vote in 2022 – expired. USW said all 944 members who participated in the strike vote were in favour of walking off the job.

“When they reached out and asked for us to put this in place, I knew things were getting pretty serious up there,” Skidmore added. “There are 1,200 workers out on the line – those are folks who live in Logan Lake and in the surrounding communities of Kamloops and others.”

“Those are a lot of jobs. Those are good community supporting, family supporting jobs, and those workers deserve to bargain a collective agreement at the table, and they deserve respect from an employer who is bringing in record profits.”

On Thursday last week (Oct. 29), Teck reported in its third-quarter conference call that production at Highland Valley Copper should come in at the high end of its targeted range this year. The company also reported an increase in third-quarter profits, helped by higher copper and zinc prices.

Profit attributable to shareholders amounted to $1.59 billion, or $3.24 per diluted share, up from $281 million, or 57 cents per diluted share, in the same quarter last year.

“Teck Resources is pulling in record profits. Yet they aren’t just failing to pay workers enough to retain them – they’re even asking for concessions,” added Scott Lunny, the Western Canada Director with the United Steelworkers.

“No company this profitable should be falling so far short of the wages and pensions they can afford to pay.”

In a previous statement, Teck said it has contingency plans in place, and that the impact on overall production at Highland Valley Copper will depend on how long the strike lasts.

“Teck is committed to reaching a collective agreement that is fair and reasonable for employees and supports the ongoing viability of the operation,” the company said.

Highland Valley Copper near Logan Lake is the largest open-pit copper mine in Canada, and a major expansion project to extend the life of the mine from 2028 to 2046, is ongoing.