News |
May 1, 2010 - Although May 1 marks the beginning of the end for
Xstrata Copper's Kidd Creek Metallurgical Site, it will still be a couple of
weeks before the company will see a dip in manpower.
"May 14 will be the first day workers will be leaving for good," said Ben
Lefebvre, chair-MAN of the bargaining committee for CAW Local 599 in
Timmins. "We'll see a good chunk of people leaving that day, and about half
of the people that have been laid off permanently will be staying for the
cleanup and ramping down process."
Lefebvre explained that this process could last anywhere from two to six
weeks. "It's not just something that
happens overnight, you don't just flip a switch and lock the doors,"
explained Lefebvre. "For environmental and safety reasons, there's cleanup
involved, draining of pipes, things like that."
Although more 100 workers were asked to stay after May 14, a vast majority
of employees will be walking out of the smelter on that date.
"Almost 100 people have accepted early retirement packages," said Lefebvre.
Saturday will mark the shutoff of feed to the plant, with the zinc plant
feed having been shut off this past Wednesday.
"A handful of people will remain in the concentrator to train transferees,"
added Lefebvre. "And there are about eight people slated to stay as late as
November." December 7,
2009 - Xstrata Copper Canada plans to permanently close its Kidd
metallurgical copper and zinc plants in Timmins, Ont., with the loss of 670
jobs. The shutdown is planned for May 1, 2010, in a rationalization of
the company's Canadian metallurgical operations. The metals
company, which was called Falconbridge before it was acquired by Swiss-based
Xstrata PLC, said the Kidd mine and concentrator will remain in operation.
Xstrata cited several underlying global factors for the decision, including
poor market demand and a strong Canadian dollar. Ben Lefebvre, the
chair of Canadian Auto Workers Local 599, called it a “devastating blow” to
the union's members, “particularly at this time of year.” He added
that hundreds of other jobs will be affected in Timmins and the surrounding
communities. “You can rest assured that we are not going to sit idly
by and let this happen without a fight,” Mr. Lefebvre said in a statement.
“The federal government agreed to the takeover of Falconbridge by this
foreign multi-national based on the fact that the deal would prove to be a
net economic benefit to this country,” Mr. Lefebvre said. “Obviously that is
not the case.” Xstrata said eligible employees will be offered early
retirement incentives and where possible, the company will try to offer work
for employees at its other operations. “Global smelting overcapacity
is driving treatment and refining charges to record lows while the costs to
operate and maintain these facilities continue to increase,” Claude Ferron,
chief operating officer, said in a release. “Our situation in
Canada is exacerbated by a strengthening Canadian dollar. The requirement
for further capital investment in these plants and lower sale prices for
some byproducts, including sulphuric acid, have also negatively impacted the
viability of these operations.”
August 27, 2009 - Xstrata
PLC said it will close its Kidd Creek copper smelter and refinery
temporarily due to a shortage of third-party concentrate, exacerbated by a
strike at Vale Inco in Canada. The smelter and refinery, located
in Timmins, Ontario, will shut September 7 and remain closed for seven to 10
weeks, the company said. The mine remains open.
00"In addition to reduced shipments from some of Kidd's regular suppliers,
concentrate availability is being compounded by the current Vale Inco strike
in Sudbury," said Thompson Hickey, general manager at the Kidd Metallurgical
Site. Xstrata receives about 20% of its concentrate needs from
Vale, the company told Dow Jones Newswires. The rest comes from other
third-party suppliers and 40% from its own mines.
Xstrata said some employees will be laid off temporarily as a result of the
closure, but the numbers and duration haven't been finalized. The Kidd
Creek smelter was previously shut for eight weeks beginning mid-April due to
a decline in demand for sulphuric acid, which the plant produces as a
by-product of smelting concentrate. "The plant has been
struggling economically for a number of years," said Xstrata spokesman
Louis-Philippe Gariepy, citing the increased cost in freight to ship
material. "We were already in a restrained situation due to a slowdown
in copper feed," he said, adding that the smelter and refinery were running
at a reduced rate. Xstrata will stockpile mined material that normally
goes to the Kidd smelter and some will be sent to its Horne smelter in
Quebec. The Kidd Metallurgical Site is comprised of a concentrator, a zinc
plant, and a copper refinery and smelter. There are a total of 800 people at
the site.
April 1, 2009
- About 175 workers at Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Creek Metallurgical Site will
be affected by an eight-week shutdown starting April 13 because of weak
demand for sulphuric acid. The
shutdown will affect employees working in the copper smelter, whereas the
site’s concentrator and zinc operations will continue to operate.
Thompson Hickey, general manager at the site, said the company experienced a
“significant drop” in sulphuric acid sales since January, due to a lack of
demand. “An ongoing negative
outlook on sales requires that we adjust our operating plans to further
reduce our acid production to meet this current reality,” Hickey said in a
press release. “This
situation is beyond our control and we will make all possible efforts to
mitigate potential impacts on our 175 employees working at the copper
operation.” Hickey said Xstrata doesn’t expect the shutdown to last any
longer and “we look forward to returning to normal production levels.”
November 5, 2008 - Xstrata
Copper Canada is pleased to announce it has reached a tentative agreement
with the Union Executives of CAW-Local 599 for the renewal of the collective
agreement at the Kidd Metallurgical site. Kidd Metallurgical employees
are expected to vote on the agreement on November 6, 2008. The collective
agreement expired on September 30, 2008 at midnight and the CAW has been on
strike since October 1.
October 1, 2008 - CAW Local
599 members at Xstrata's Copper Kidd Metallurgical facility near Timmins
Ontario are on strike over the company's refusal to adequately address
workers concerns in bargaining. In a statement released to Local 599
members, the union said the company fell short in addressing many of the
workers concerns in the areas of wages, benefits and contract language,
which includes seniority and skilled trades related issues. "We are
hopeful that Xstrata will reconsider its position and return to the
negotiating table in order to bring an end to this dispute," said Ben
Lefebvre, Chairperson of the Metallurgical site representing 675 CAW
members. "Our members understand that Xstrata is benefiting from
Canada's very profitable metals sector and are demanding a fair deal," said
Hemi Mitic, assistant to CAW National President Ken Lewenza. Mitic
said the two sides are not far apart on the issues and believes that an
agreement is within reach. Swiss-based Xstrata acquired the northern
Ontario metallurgical complex when it took over Canadian-mining giant
Falconbridge in 2006. The Kidd metallurgical site is located 30 kilometres
from the Kidd Creek mine and includes a concentrator, copper smelter and
refinery, as well as zinc, cadmium, indium and sulphuric acid plant.
The collective agreement expired at midnight on October 1. No further
contract talks have been scheduled. |