Labor & Employment Law

Solidarity Results in Tentative Pact for Rio Tinto Miners

By James Parks

The combination of worker solidarity and the strong support of their neighbors helped workers at Rio Tinto’s borax mine in Borax, Calif., take on one of the world’s largest mining companies. Today, they won a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract that protects their jobs, calls for raises and maintains protections against discrimination and favoritism.

The 570 workers, members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 30, will vote on the tentative deal tomorrow, May 15.  

ILWU President Robert McEllrath said:

Local 30 President Dave Liebengood, the negotiating committee and all the members deserve credit for standing up and sticking together to make this victory possible.

The workers, who have been locked out since Jan. 31, were backed by dozens of small business owners who opposed Rio Tinto’s lockout. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, along with working people in Los Angeles and across the United States and Canada, also provided critical support.

If the tentative agreement is ratified, workers will receive an annual 2.5 percent wage increase in each year of the six years. Workers will keep their protections against discrimination and favoritism in promotions, shifts, scheduling and overtime assignments. The company also is not allowed to convert full-time jobs into part-time, temporary jobs.

Current employees will continue to receive solid retirement pensions; and newly hired employees would receive 401(k) plans with a generous company match.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on May 14, 2010 (boomark / email).