Burchell says that they are not seeking absolute parity with the other mines, but wish to close the gap that exists. He says that Teck had offered a 12.5 percent increase over five years with no retroactive pay, but that Line Creek's latest contract gave them 15 percent over five years including retroactive pay, which would see Coal Mountain's gap growing even larger over time.
He says that more than 100 of the Coal Mountain employees live in Crowsnest Pass.
Burchell says that with the price of coal having gone up again, Coal Mountain has been making more money for the company but is still paid less. He says that the workers are ready for a long strike if necessary.
He adds that he feels the employees of the other area mines are supportive of their efforts. "But they can't do anything because of separate unions," he says, "and we don't expect them to."
Nic Milligan, Manager of Community and Government Relations with Teck, confirms that there are currently no meetings scheduled between the two negotiating committees.
"Our position remains unchanged," says Milligan. "We would very much like to resolve this issue." He says that Teck wants to find the best solution for the workers, the company, and the company's shareholders.
The strike is not having any effect on Teck's other mines in the area, he said.
Coal Mountain was scheduled to produce 2.5 million tonnes of coal in 2010, but how much actual production is reduced from that number will depend on the duration of the strike.
According to Milligan, Coal Mountain produces primarily PCI coal, which stands for pulverized coal injection. The coal is crushed into a powder and injected into blast furnaces.