Trend to smaller mines worries union

The boom and bust cycles of mining are expected to continue with even more dramatic swings than in the past say a team of researchers for the United Steelworkers of America.

The union’s research team presented an economic review of the mining industry to about 150 delegates at a national mining conference of the USWA held in Elliot Lake Sept 7-9. It was the first national mining conference held by the union in Canada. The USWA represents about 30,000 Canadian miners, more than any other union.

With the trend toward smaller mines with shorter lives, the researchers say, miners can expect to be more mobile in the future rather than work for one mine for most of their working lives. Also, with the trend toward increased productivity through technology, fewer miners can expect to be employed, they say.

At the beginning of this decade for instance, there were three times as many jobs in nickel and copper/ zinc mines as there are today. The iron ore industry has suffered even more dramatic losses in employment with a work force of nearly 17,000 in 1976 being cut in half by 1986.

Uranium employment has declined from 6,900 in 1981 to 5,600 in 1987. And, say the researchers, Ontario’s uranium miners can prepare for more dramatic job cuts as the industry shifts its emphasis to the higher grade ore of Saskatchewan.

“Each employee in Saskatchewan can produce six times as much uranium as in Ontario mines,” say the researchers.

The team discussed the trend to smaller mines with shorter lives with an administrative emphasis on “teamwork which reduces the levels of hierarchy” and on the versatility of the miner (his ability to do several tasks).

Such is the case at new Winston Lake mine near Schreiber, Ont., where it is the intent to replace individual miners’ bonuses with a “team premium” based on production and safety targets.

The slow growth rates in consumption of minerals are expected to continue say the researchers. In some cases, such as lead, consumption growth ra tes have “gone as low as they can go” with the phasing out of leaded gasoline.

To increase productivity companies will continue to close old mines and open short-life mines with higher grade ores and continue to introduce technological change, the researchers say.

In short, the researchers believe that while the Canadian mining industry is currently doing well, there is no room for complacency among the mine work force.

“Massive job losses, extended vacation shutdowns, mine closures and very tough bargaining over the last six or seven years has instilled in all of us a cautious attitude toward the new-found strength of the mining industry,” say the researchers.