Striking members of Unifor Local 2301 will discuss future bargaining protocol with the employer on August 12 for the first time since the strike began.
During the strike, community support for the union has been rock solid.
"Community support and the enthusiasm of members on the picket line will help ensure we keep a united front against a multinational corporation," said Mario Santos, Unifor National Representative and member of the bargaining committee.
Despite a global drop in aluminum prices from April to June of last year, 2020 was Rio Tinto's third most profitable in two decades with net revenues exceeding $9.8 billion (USD).
Local 2301 began strike action on July 25, 2021 over the employer's rampant use of contractors and refusal to address a massive backlog of grievances. The union represents approximately 900 workers at the company's aluminum smelting plant in Kitimat and power generating facility in Kemano.