Steelworkers sign new 5-year contract with Goldcorp in Timmins

Goldcorp Canada in Timmins, Ont., has ratified a five-year deal with more than 200 unionized workers – with major gains in wages.

The new collective agreement will see wages go up 14 per cent in the first year for tradespeople and 8 per cent in the first year for those in operations, said United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7580 representatives.

The contract will see a 26 per cent increase over five years for those in the trades and a 20 per cent increase over the same term for those in operations – with wages raised even higher through adjustments based on job classifications and cost-of-living increases, along with increases in shift premiums and improvements to pensions and benefits, according to the USW’s news release.

Tradespeople will receive a $1,000 signing bonus under the new contract while operations workers will get $4,000.

The new contract also includes provisions on parental and bereavement leave, job classification language, safety boot allowances and personal protective equipment in addition to what the union is calling “meaningful” and “long-sought” improvements to the collective agreement with increases to both short-term and long-term disability benefits.

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USW 7580 represents more than 200 workers at Goldcorp Canada.

“This is a big win for our members at Local 7580 and it marks the 11th successive collective agreement they’ve reached without a conflict between the USW and Goldcorp,” said Myles Sullivan, director of USW District 6, which includes Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

“This round of contract negotiations is part of a continuing pattern of success we have been seeing at our bargaining tables in the last couple of years.”

Sullivan said workers are “winning more” and that they deserve it as a result of the profits they are generating.