With a March 31 expiration date on the existing contract for 140 workers at Barrick Gold‘s (ABX-T) Holt-McDermott underground gold mine in Kirkland Lake, Ont., the United Steelworkers’ Local 6409 plans to hold a strike mandate vote on Good Friday.
The union is upset that Barrick hasn’t yet stepped up with a new contract offer.
The Local’s president Jean Arsenault said in a prepared statement, “The company refuses to bring forward a monetary offer. They simply do not want to negotiate at all.”
The union’s bargaining committee will report to union members in two sessions on March 29 at the recreational centre in Duparquet, Que., at 10 a.m., and at the Steelworkers’ office in Kirkland Lake at 2 p.m. A vote will take place at both meetings.
In 2001,the mine produced 83,577 oz. of gold at a total cash cost of US$165 per oz. Production in 2002 is expected to climb to 90,127 oz. at a total cash cost of US$148 per oz. The increase is anticipated as a result of higher grades expected from the lower ore zones.
At the end of 2001, the mine had reserves of 1.4 million tons grading 0.21 oz. per ton for about 294,000 contained oz. Surface exploration in 2002 will concentrate on east-west extensions of the South zone and on geophysical anomalies outlined by previous surface induced polarization surveys. Underground exploration will test depth extensions and potential continuity between known ore zones.
In all, 84,000 ft. of diamond drilling are planned for 2002.
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