BC Miners Push to Improve Workplace Safety and Health

More than 1,200 members of Local 7619 at the Highland Valley Copper (HVC) mine in British Columbia are working toward improved health and safety for all the miners in the province in the wake of a report that highlighted dangers in the largest copper mine in North America.

Kyle Wolff, who serves as local union president, said the threats are real and led to numerous dangerous occurrences in the last year alone. Wolff said his members will keep on fighting for safety, especially as the mine, owned by Teck, embarks on a hugely important extension project.

“Our province wants to double down on being a global leader in mining and critical minerals,” said USW District 3 Director Scott Lunny, who leads the union in Canada’s western provinces and northern territories. “That only happens if we are looking after the workers and the surrounding communities. The HVC report (released in December by British Columbia’s Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines) is a call to action on that front.”

The final report cited the need for a “long-term shift” on safety and made a series of recommendations, such as further empowering workers to report problems and take action. The good news is that the local union, USW District 3, mine management and the Teck head office have started work to respond to the recommendations with the help of two prominent labour mediators, Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers.

But more is needed. USW International Secretary-Treasurer Myles Sullivan stressed the need for a heightened focus on safety industry-wide amid the major expansion of mining across the country.

“As mines plan to grow operations, it’s essential to establish a safety culture that’s enforceable and puts miners first,” Sullivan said. “That’s the only way to ensure that safety not only stays at the forefront but helps to shape the expansion of the industry.”

Lunny agrees, noting the union represents more than 6,000 members in mining and smelting in Canada’s western-most province.

“British Columbia mining has separate regulation and enforcement for safety and health from the rest of the province’s workplaces,” he said. “We question whether that makes sense in a sector that has had three fatalities in the last few months and is looking to expand dramatically. We need to invest in training and to make sure that we have the highest standards of safety for workers, not just in Canada but in the world.”