Workers employed by Cliffs Natural Resources walked off the job June 19 at the company's Ring of Fire camp citing long hours, poor pay and unsafe working conditions.
In a press release issued by a Thunder Bay public relations firm, the workers said they were moving out bulk samples of between 200 tons “by hand” into 15 gallon pails and onto airplanes.
Worker Ralph Baxter said Cliffs management offered a package to workers to become “seasonal” employees with no benefits and a wage of $140 a day for 14 days.
Baxter described conditions at the camp as “completely isolated” with “extreme weather conditions.” With little pay and no benefits, “we are, without question, the poorest paid workers in the mining industry.”
The release said workers had health and safety issues since there was no place to land a helicopter in the evenings in case of accident or illness.
Another worker said the camp was “run like a dictatorship.”
Following the resignation of the camp manager, about two dozen First Nation and non-Native workers walked out.
Ciiff's ferroalloys president Bill Boor said discussions continue to improve safety as the camp transitions from exploration to a development site.
“There was a lot of miscommunication both from the company and the workers (who) share responsibility on that and it got out of hand, and our camp manager shut down the camp.” said Boor. “I think we'll bring better facts and data to the discussion....and we'll get it going again.”
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