Workers at Elkview mine have voted to go on strike and have issued a 72-hour strike notice to Teck Coal.
The miners will set up picket lines as early as Sunday after serving strike notice on the company.
United Steelworkers Local 9346 President, Chris Nand, said a letter has been sent to Teck saying the union is willing to talk with them and come to a resolution, but if that doesn’t happen, strike action will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday.
He said the issues the workers are striking over include the employer’s contribution levels to the workers’ retirement plan and retiree benefits.
Teck, in a news release, said the company "remains committed to negotiating a new collective agreement.”
The previous labour agreement at the mine in Sparwood expired on October 31, 2010.
About 700 of the workers at the Elkview mine are members of the union.