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Mining Labour Issues and History – Sudbury and Global

NEWS RELEASE: Mine safety review launch draws media attention

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The inaugural meeting of the Ministry of Labour’s mine safety review panel attracted pretty well the full slate of Sudbury’s media representatives – print, radio and television; English and French; local and outlets with national affiliations. The Sudbury media had an opportunity to interview Ontario Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis, who is leading the review, along with Fergus Kerr, industry co-chair, and John Perquin, labour co-chair.

“It is about outcomes, responsiveness and comprehensiveness,” said Mr. Gritziotis, who was kept very busy by the high level of media interest. “It is about having a positive impact on the workplace as soon as possible, whether through regulation, mandatory training or best practices.”

The comprehensive mining safety review was announced by Ontario Labour Minister Yasir Naqvi just before the end of 2013. It is the next logical step in the ongoing process to improve the health and well-being of mineral industry employees and reach the goal of zero harm. The evidence-based review is to complete its work in 12 months.

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Stobie Mine inquest in planning stage – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – February 1, 2014)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

The date hasn’t been set for the coroner’s inquest into the June 8, 2011, deaths of two men at Vale’s Stobie Mine, but months of planning for the complicated procedure are under way.

The examination into the deaths of Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, who were killed when they were overcome by 350 tons of muck while working at the 3,000-foot level of the century-old mine, is expected to be lengthy and complicated.

Cheryl Mahyr, issues manager with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, said Friday she couldn’t make any announcement about the timing of the inquest.

Coroners’ inquests are mandatory in workplace deaths in Ontario, and are not held until after outstanding investigations and charges under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act are dealt with, including appeals.

Both United Steelworkers Local 6500 and Vale conducted exhaustive investigations into the double fatality.

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Mine safety review begins Tuesday – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – January 27, 2014)

http://www.northernlife.ca/

The first meeting of the provincial government’s review of mine safety will take place in Sudbury Tuesday, Jan. 28.

After a campaign from the United Steelworkers and the Mining Inquiry Needs Everyone’s Support (MINES) Committee for a mine safety inquiry, the government agreed to instead begin a tripartite review of the mining industry, chaired by public representatives, union leaders and industry representatives.

The MINES Committee was formed in reaction to the mining deaths of Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier, who were were killed in a run of muck at the 3,000-foot level of Vale’s Stobbie Mine in Sudbury on June 8, 2011.

On Feb. 29, 2012, the United Steelworkers released a comprehensive report with 165 recommendations to ensure other miners would not face the same dangerous conditions that killed Fram and Chenier the year before.

One of the report’s main recommendations was for the Ontario government to initiate a detailed mine safety inquiry. The last inquiry of the sort was conducted in 1981, and the Steelworkers argued changes in technology and mining practices necessitated a fresh look at the industry.

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Platinum Talks Today Will Seek End to Pay Strike at Mines – by Kevin Crowley, Andre Janse van Vuuren and Paul Burkhardt (Bloomberg News – January 24, 2014)

http://www.bloomberg.com/

South Africa’s government will today mediate talks between union officials and the world’s three biggest platinum producers as a strike that’s crippling mines enters a second day.

Labor Minister Mildred Oliphant will lead talks between Anglo American Platinum Ltd. (AMS), Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMP) and Lonmin Plc (LMI) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, said Musa Zondi, her spokesman. The discussions were due to begin at 9 a.m. in Johannesburg. The companies should expect “marathon negotiations,” AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa said.

“There are pressures from all sides” to reach an agreement, AMCU Treasurer Jimmy Gama said today by phone. “When you have these pressures, all the parties need to apply their minds constructively to deal with the issue.”

At least 70,000 employees downed tools at platinum mines yesterday in South Africa, home to 70 percent of the world’s production of the metal, causing about $13.1 million of lost revenue on the first day. The police stepped up safety measures as it sought to avoid a repeat of labor unrest that claimed the lives of at least 44 workers near platinum mines in August 2012.

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Unrealistic demands threaten companies, employees and country – Platinum bosses – by Zandi Shabalala and Ed Stoddard (Mineweb.com – January 22, 2014)

http://www.mineweb.com/

The chief executives of Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin, in a rare joint statement, said strikes have cost the companies over $1.15bn in the last 2 years.

JOHANNESBURG (REUTERS) – Bosses of the world’s top three platinum producers accused South Africa’s AMCU union of making “unaffordable and unrealistic” demands on Tuesday ahead of a strike this week which could hit over half of global output of the precious metal.

The chief executives of Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin made the dramatic warning as signs of some divisions emerged in the hardline Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, which has called the stoppage for Thursday.

In a rare joint statement that throws down the gauntlet in a bruising standoff between capital and labour, the trio said that “it is of great concern … that employees are being made promises by AMCU that cannot be delivered upon.”

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Yesterday’s Top Story – U.S. mining death toll surges with metal/nonmetals losses–MSHA – by Dorothy Kosich (Mineweb.com – January 7, 2014)

http://www.mineweb.com/

Machinery and powered haulage equipment were the most common causes of accidents for both coal and metal/nonmetal operations in 2013, MSHA reported.

RENO (MINEWEB.COM) – Preliminary data released by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said 42 miners died in work related accidents at U.S. mines last year, up from 36 mining fatalities in 2012.

While mining deaths were at a record low rate for the first nine months of last year, six coal miners and nine metal/nonmetal miners died in mining accidents during the fourth-quarter 2013, a significant increase from the same period of 2012 when four coal miners and two metal/nonmetal miners died.

In 2013 there were 20 coal mining and 22 metal/nonmetal mining fatalities, compared with 20 coal mining deaths and 16 metal/nonmetal mining deals in 2012. Four mining deaths in 2013 involved contractors (two each in coal and metal/nonmetal), the lowest number of contractors deaths since MSHA began maintaining contractor data in 1983.

For metal/nonmetal mining, 17 deaths occurred at surface operations, while five deaths occurred underground in 2013. Fourteen coal mining deaths occurred underground and six were reported at surface operations during the same time period, said MSHA.

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VIDEO: 74-year-old labor film about lead, zinc mining joins National Film Registry – by Wally Kennedy and Andy Ostmeyer (Joplin Globe – January 7, 2014)

 

http://www.joplinglobe.com/ [Missouri, U.S.A.]

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A 74-year-old labor film that kicked open a hornet’s nest in the Tri-State Mining District when it was released in 1940 is among 25 films chosen recently for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

“Men and Dust” was produced and directed by Lee Dick, a pioneer in documentary filmmaking, and was written and shot by her husband, Sheldon Dick. The couple examined conditions in the lead and zinc mines, and silicosis among miners and their family members. Much of the film was shot at Picher, Okla.

The Library of Congress adds 25 films to the National Film Registry every year. They are chosen for their “great cultural, historic or aesthetic significance.” Films added in 2013, along with “Men and Dust,” include “Judgment at Nuremberg,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Pulp Fiction” and “The Quiet Man.”

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2013 News Story: Bittersweet victory for mine safety – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – December 31, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

The $1-million fine against Vale the largest occupational health and safety related fine issued by an Ontario court and the province’s decision to conduct a mining review together constitute The Sudbury Star’s top news story of 2013. Both stand to have a significant impact on the city’s defining industry.

On June 8, 2011, Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, were working on the 3,000-foot level of Stobie Mine when they were overcome by a 350-tonne run of muck consisting of rock and water.

Vale pleaded guilty to three charges admitting to failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent water accumulation in the mine, which was determined to have played a role in the run of muck.

“The fine and the announcement of a review are the most significant legal developments relating to mine safety we’ve seen in this province for decades,” said Sudbury Star Managing Editor Brian MacLeod. “The persistent efforts of people in the community undoubtedly played a role in forcing the labour ministry to proceed with a review of mining practices.”

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Chinese mining company faces another legal challenge in B.C. to foreign workers – by James Keller (Vancouver Sun – December 19, 2013)

http://www.vancouversun.com/index.html

Canadain Press – A Chinese-owned mining firm behind a proposed underground coal project in northern British Columbia is facing yet another union legal challenge over its use of temporary foreign workers.

HD Mining has been fending off controversy since it was revealed last year that it planned to use up to 201 temporary foreign workers from China at its Murray River project, near Tumbler Ridge.

The plan prompted federal politicians to suggest the permits shouldn’t have been granted and led to a legal challenge from two unions, which ultimately ended in the company’s favour.

Now, the United Steelworkers union is asking the B.C. Supreme Court to revoke the company’s mining exploration permit, arguing the province’s chief inspector of mines was wrong to grant the permit without adequately addressing concerns the workers would not be fluent in English.

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OMA NEWS RELEASE: Let’s get going with Ontario safety review

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Minister of Labour Yasir Naqvi has announced the launch of a comprehensive mining safety review to further improve the health and well-being of mineral industry employees. Starting in 2014, Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis will lead an advisory panel of industry, labour and health and safety representatives to engage in a collaborative evidence-based review.

“This collaborative safety review follows up on recommendations from the Dean expert panel,” said Ontario Mining Association President Chris Hodgson. “Mining is one of the safest industries in the province and it has demonstrated steady and significant improvement in its safety performance for decades. This review can help sustain that improvement and move the industry closer to its goal of zero harm while helping to prepare for future growth and innovations.”

“Improving mine safety and making sure our miners go home to their families at the end of their shift is what this mining review is all about,” said Mr. Naqvi. “I know that all of our partners share this goal and recognize that it is time for a thorough, evidence-based review of mining safety across the province that will get meaningful results for miners and their families.”

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In the wake of 2011 Vale deaths, Ontario launches full mine safety review – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – December 19, 2013)

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The Ontario provincial government of Wednesday launched a comprehensive mining safety review to improve the health and well-being of workers in the sector, heeding calls for reform after two miners died at Brazilian diversified mining group Vale’s Sudbury operations in 2011.

Starting early in the New Year, the province’s chief prevention officer would lead an advisory group of industry, labour, health and safety representatives to begin a sweeping review on a wide range of areas within the sector.

The review followed months of intense persuasion by several unions, families and friends of the two men – Jason Chenier (35) and Jordan Fram (26) – killed in a June 8, 2011 accident at Vale’s Stobie underground mine, near Sudbury.

Toronto-based Vale Canada, which owns and operates the operation, was in September fined a record C$1.05-million for the death of the men after Vale Canada pleaded guilty to three charges in a plea bargain, which some had billed as a betrayal of workers and their families by the provincial government.

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Ontario to review mine safety after Vale deaths in 2011 (Reuters U.S. – December 18, 2013)

http://www.reuters.com/

TORONTO – Dec 18 (Reuters) – The Ontario government will launch a review of mining safety, looking at the effectiveness of health and safety rules, enforcement and prevention in the Canadian province after the 2011 deaths of two men at a Vale SA mine prompted calls for reform.

The review, announced on Wednesday and to commence in early 2014, comes after more than a year of lobbying by the families and friends of the men, Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram.

The two were killed at one of Vale’s Sudbury, Ontario, nickel mines, and the Brazilian miner’s Canadian unit was hit with a record C$1.05 million ($984,900) fine for the incident in September. It had pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the province’s workplace safety law.

Mining has long been a major industry in Ontario, and miners, including big international players such as Glencore and Goldcorp Inc, produced some C$10.7 billion worth of minerals in 2011, according provincial government figures.

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Fine for Vale mine worker deaths goes to Sudbury budget – by CBC News Sudbury (December 16, 2013)

http://www.cbc.ca/sudbury/

A $1 million fine that Vale paid in the deaths of two miners is being absorbed into Sudbury’s city budget. All provincial offences fines go to city coffers, to help offset the city’s costs of running the provincial court.

Some called on Sudbury city council to give that money to the families of the miners or to create some kind of memorial to them. But city councillor Terry Kett recently said it’s better to honour workers who die on the job at the annual memorial day, which he attends in Sudbury every year.

“That’s more important I think than any naming of a park, etc. I think it’s important that we remember that and we keep that in our hearts and minds,” he said. Kett said $1 million from Vale will help the city balance its books, especially since the provincial offences collected last year were down $350,000.

The city receives the fines — including fines from parking tickets and illegal hunting charges — to help offset the cost of running the provincial offences court. Vale paid its fine after being convicted of health and safety violations leading to the fatal accident at Stobie Mine two years ago.

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Man named to chair review into mine safety – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – December 6, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

A man whose position was created after an expert advisory panel reviewed the Christmas Eve 2009 deaths of four men working on scaffolds in Toronto will chair the review into mine safety that will be conducted in Ontario in 2014.

One of the recommendations of the 2010 report into the scaffolding tragedy was that a chief prevention officer, reporting to Ontario’s Labour minister, be appointed.

George Gritziotis, founding executive director of the Construction Sector Council and a former strategy analyst at Investment Canada, was named to that job as part of an overhaul of Ontario’s occupational health and safety system.

Chris Hodgson, former minister of Northern Development and Mines in the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris, said the review into the deaths of the four men was led by former cabinet secretary Tony Dean.

It produced 46 recommendations and an 80-page report, which Hodgson said was supported by organized by both labour and management.

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Steelworkers, safety advocates welcome review of mine standards – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – December 5, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Details of exactly how a comprehensive mining safety review will unfold haven’t been released, but those involved in pressuring the province to conduct it are convinced it will make Ontario mines safer in a matter of months.

Representatives of United Steelworkers and MINES (Mining Inquiry Needs Everyone’s Support) announced Tuesday they have hammered out an agreement with Labour Minister Nasir Yaqvi to guide the review. USW Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand told a news conference at the Steelworkers Hall the union and MINES are pleased with the terms of the agreement reached with Naqvi for a comprehensive review.

While it isn’t the public inquiry into mine safety the union began calling for in February 2012, the review will involve labour, industry and government in a process that will produce recommendations that will be acted upon to improve mine safety.

The call was made after USW Local 6500 completed an eight-month investigation into the June 2011 deaths of two men at Vale’s Stobie Mine. Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, died after being overrun by 350 tons of muck while working at the 3,000-foot level of the mine.

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