Greenhills workers, the only of Teck’s mine workers in the Elk Valley not yet unionized, might join the Steelworkers union next week. Employees at the Greenhills Mine north of Elkford have expressed enough interest to put to a vote whether or not to join the Steelworkers 7284. Voting takes place August 20 from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and again on August 24 in the same timeslots.

Out of Burnaby, Director of USW District 3, Stephen Hunt, spoke on the USW 9346 podcast, Steelmegaphone, to talk about the vote. “We’re looking forward to welcoming all our new members to the steelworkers,” said Hunt. He also said, “I think there’s all kinds of things we could do to enhance the working lives of members and workers in the valley,” and spoke about the importance of mine workers being able to speak “with one voice.” He had a message for those headed to cast a ballot: “Get out there, vote and turn a page in your working life and get some support for yourself.”

Teck’s Manager of Community and Aboriginal Affairs, Nic Milligan, commented on the vote, saying that “We respect the right of our employees to consider potential union representation.” He noted as well that “Greenhills has been non-union for nearly 25 years, and our employees remain very competitively compensated compared to union sites.” He emphasized, “Over that time, Greenhills has remained a safe and positive worksite with a high level of trust and respect among employees. Our focus is on maintaining that positive environment and working together to ensure the site remains strong for the future.”