Light at the end of the tunnel?

By CHANSE WATSON

Managing Editor

MULLAN — It has been nearly one year since the members of United Steelworkers Union local 5114 chapter voted to go on strike at the Lucky Friday Mine, over what they claim to be unfair labor practices by the Hecla Mining Co. Representatives with the company and union have met several times since the beginning of the strike in the hopes of working out a deal for a new labor contract. Unfortunately for those involved, little progress has come from those meetings. Tentative agreements have been made on some disputed areas such as health care plans, but other major issues such as a job selection system, wages and recall rights remain points of contention.

Ironically enough though, an end to this nearly year-long saga may be on the horizon, due to both sides agreeing that they can’t agree.

Confirmed by individuals with both the union and company, the two sides are mulling over the idea of solving their differences through the process of interest arbitration. According to the American Bar Association, interest arbitration is “generally used after other methods of resolving a bargaining impasse, such as mediation or fact-finding, prove unsuccessful.”

If agreed to by both parties, Hecla and USW would present their contract proposals to a three-person arbitration panel. This panel would hear both sides explain why their contract proposal should be implemented at the mine, then they would make a decision on which one to use. Agreements on issues made prior to arbitration would remain unchanged regardless of the outcome.

Although this option would arguably bring about a quicker end to the long-going dispute, the stakes would be much higher for both sides. In this winner-take-all scenario, there would be no middle ground and no compromise.

If the arbitration panel chose Hecla’s contract proposal for example, all of the company’s changes would be implemented and the miners would work under a contract similar to Hecla’s original offer in late 2016 (excluding agreements already made prior to arbitration). If the panel chose USW’s proposal, the miners would go back to work under a new contract that would be similar to the expired 2010 contract (again, excluding agreements already made prior to arbitration). This option to pursue arbitration is still up in the air, as both sides have to agree to it.

USW 5114 held a meeting at the Mullan Pavilion on Sunday where members were presented the particulars of arbitration. When it comes time to vote on a course of action in the not-too-distant future, the miners are essentially left with two options: vote to pursue arbitration or vote to continue the strike. Both avenues carry potential risks and rewards for both sides, not just the union.

If the strike continues, this incredibly expensive and exhausting game of chicken will go on, but it will also leave the door open for further talks (which have been largely fruitless so far) and a potential compromise that could save face for everyone involved. If arbitration is pursued though, a swift end could be near with one side decisively coming out on top.

Tensions between Hecla and USW 5114 began to rise in April/May 2016 when their previous labor contract from 2010 expired. Negotiations continued through the year, but yielded no results. Hecla’s proposals for a new labor contract included many changes compared to the 2010 contract that the union has refused to accept. Although they have clashed over several issues from vacation days and recall rights to health care and pay rates, one of the major points of contention has been the implementation of a job selection system. Hecla wishes to use what they call a “progression system” that allows management to decided who works with who and where in the mine. The union defends the current “bid system” in which the decision of who works where with who falls to the senior miners — not management.

As of Wednesday, Feb. 14, the strike at the Lucky Friday mine will be in its 340th day and has a strong possibility of reaching the one year mark on March 13 if nothing is done.

The last strike at the Lucky Friday was in 1981 and went from March 21 to May 23.