Union rejects contract offer

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By JEFF GEARINO
Southwest Wyoming bureau

Friday, July 11, 2008 7:06 AM MDT

ROCK SPRINGS -- Union workers at Sweetwater County's largest coal mine overwhelmingly rejected a second contract offer from the Bridger Coal Co. this week, according to union and company officials.

The two sides -- seemingly far apart in negotiations after six months of contract talks -- will resume discussions later this month, officials with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (Lodge S1978) Western Energy Workers Union said Thursday.

The Bridger Mine, located about 35 miles northeast of Rock Springs, provides the principal supply of fuel for the adjacent Jim Bridger Power Plant. Some 285 union members are employed at the mine as hourly workers.

Mike Murphy, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers representative and a former Bridger Mine employee, said 201 union members voted against the contract offer and seven members voted for the proposal on Tuesday.

Murphy said the vote marked the second time this year that union workers at the Bridger Mine have shot down the company's proposed three-year contract offer.

Union members defeated the company's first contract offer May 19 by a vote of 226-13.

Murphy said after the overwhelming rejection of the company's second offer, union members met this week to discuss their next step.

"We're trying to feel people out and see where they want to go from here," Murphy said in a phone interview. "There's other things that need to be (looked at) when you reject the offer twice like this and the company doesn't react."

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www.trib.com/articles/2008/07/11/news/wyoming/897567c61fe355cf87257482008339f8.txt