Unifor opposes Nephton mine closure

National union president speaks out after Unimin confirms Nephton mine will close by 2020 after upgrades at Blue Mountain operation

The impending closure of Unimin Canada’s Nephton mine north of Havelock in 2020 is unjustified, says the national president of the union representing more than 90 workers whose jobs will be affected.

Unifor national president Jerry Dias said the planned closure of the Nephton mine doesn’t make sense since the company will likely have to reopen the site in the future.

“Worse, this announcement comes with no commitment of job protection for the hundreds of affected families,” Dias stated in a press release.

Unimin Canada mines nepheline, a mineral used in products such as glass, ceramics and polymers.

The company operates two mine sitesinHavelock-Belmont-Methuen Township. Unimin announced just before Christmas that it plans to close one site (Nephton) and expand the other (Blue Mountain).

But a company press release issued Wednesday doesn’t mention whether the 90 people who work at the Nephton site will be offered jobs at Blue Mountain.

Instead it states that the company will work with the union and employees of the Nephton plant to arrive at “mutually effective adjustment measures.”

When asked whether that means job transfers to Blue Mountain will be offered, Unimin spokeswoman Mariane Caballo declined comment.

Unifor is unhappy with that uncertainty.

Although the company previously gave assurances that there would be no job losses, states the union’s press release, there have been no more promises of job protection lately.

Nathan White is president of U ni for Local 306-O, which represents the workers at Nephton mine.

Although he wasn’t available for comment Wednesday night, he states in the union’s release that the company is going to have to reopen the Nephton site eventually.

“Unimin would be smart to invest in the Nephton facilities and ensure its future profitability, instead of leaving the community and these workers behind,” he stated.

“The union will continue to communicate this with the company and work toward a resolution that protects unionized jobs.”

Unimin’s press release outlined some of the upgrades that will be made at the Blue Mountain site.

The plan is to add new technology to reduce noise and dust, for instance, and also modernize operations so they consume less water and electricity.

Unimin will be making a multimillion dollar investment in these upgrades, the release states, and that will help the company keep people employed “for many more decades.”

For the next two years the Nephton site will remain open and fully operational.