As many as 2,000 hourly workers at Tucson-based copper producer Asarco LLC are headed to the picket lines Sunday night at five Asarco mining operations in Arizona and Texas.
Members of the United Steelworkers and seven other unions representing Asarco workers voted overwhelmingly to go on strike during meetings last week, the Steelworkers said Friday.
Members of the United Steelworkers and seven other unions representing Asarco workers voted overwhelmingly to go on strike during meetings last week, the Steelworkers said Friday.
Steelworkers District 12 Director Robert LaVenture said Asarco’s final, four-year contract proposal “insulted union members at all of the facilities” by including no wage increase for nearly two-thirds of workers, freezing the existing pension plan, and more than doubling the out-of-pocket contribution individual workers now pay for health care.
“Working 12-hour shifts in an open-pit mine, smelter or refinery is difficult and dangerous, and Asarco employees have not had a wage increase in 10 years,” LaVenture said. “These workers deserve a contract that reflects their contributions.”
“Working 12-hour shifts in an open-pit mine, smelter or refinery is difficult and dangerous, and Asarco employees have not had a wage increase in 10 years,” LaVenture said. “These workers deserve a contract that reflects their contributions.”
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