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Worker strike suspends operations at British Columbia’s Gibraltar copper mine

A worker strike has forced Vancouver-based Taseko Mines Limited to suspend operations at its Gibraltar copper mine in central British Columbia, about 200 kilometres south of Prince George.

The company issued a news release on Saturday saying negotiations for a new contract with unionized workers ended late Friday with no deal.

It says it then shut down mining and milling operations before midnight, and only essential staff remain to maintain critical operations.

Unifor says its Local 3018 members voted to strike today, accusing Taseko of refusing to negotiate “basic terms of a new collective agreement.”

A news release from the union says contract negotiations began in February, and the workers’ latest contract expired on Friday.

The release says Unifor Local 3018 represents about 550 workers at the mine, which is the second largest open-pit copper mine in Canada and the largest employer in the region.