Idaho mining strike continues as negotiations falter

Officials say negotiations to resolve a northern Idaho mining strike that has been ongoing since March appear to have become deadlocked.

The Coeur d’Alene Press reports that negotiators from the Hecla Mining Company and the United Steelworkers Union have met 21 times since about 250 union members went on strike from the Lucky Friday Mine in Mullan.

Luke Russell, a vice president of the mining company, says progress has not been made since mid-October.

Union spokesman David Roose says that the latest proposal from the company is nearly same as the proposal from March.

The company sent a letter last week to the striking miners, claiming the union was misinforming its members. The letter called for a vote to settle the dispute.

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Information from: Coeur d’Alene Press, http://www.cdapress.com