TWIN METALS MINNESOTA AND IRON RANGE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL SIGN PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT

Wednesday August 21, 2019

ELY, Minn., Aug. 21, 2019 – Twin Metals Minnesota (TMM) and the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council today announced the formal signing of a project labor agreement (PLA) between the two organizations. The agreement marks a formal commitment from TMM to hire union workers for the construction phase of the planned underground mine once permits are granted.

“We are proud to partner with Minnesota’s union trades, crafts people and laborers, just as we did when we built our core storage facility in 2013,” said Kelly Osborne, TMM chief executive officer. “As we prepare to file our mine plan of operations, it’s important that we further solidify our partnership with labor and ensure that the construction phase of our project will be completed by professionals whose specialized skills are essential to the premier quality work we insist on.”

The project’s construction phase is expected to produce several million hours of union construction labor and will be similar in scope to the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

“Our partnership with Twin Metals continues a strong tradition of union labor on the Iron Range,” said Mike Syversrud of the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council. “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone, which will ensure union workers and their families can continue to live and thrive on the Iron Range as the Twin Metals underground mine project comes to life.”

TMM is already working with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and other government regulatory agencies to facilitate the process for submitting its formal mine proposal to state and federal agencies. TMM intends to submit its plan in the coming months, launching an extensive and rigorous environmental and scientific review by regulatory agencies, a process which requires significant input from the public.

With more than $450 million already invested in the project, TMM is committed to developing these resources in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. For more than a decade, TMM has been conducting the largest geological study in Northeastern Minnesota’s history. TMM will meet and, where possible, exceed all state and federal environmental standards, provide hundreds of jobs for generations of Minnesotans, and generate millions of dollars of environmentally responsible economic growth in the region.

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About Twin Metals Minnesota: Twin Metals Minnesota is a Minnesota company focused on designing, constructing and operating an underground copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold and silver mining project (TMM Project) in the Iron Range region of Northeast Minnesota. The TMM Project brings the promise of significant long-term jobs and environmentally responsible economic development for generations in Minnesota. Twin Metals is owned by Antofagasta plc, one of the top ten copper producers in the world. For more information, visit http://www.twin-metals.com/https://www.facebook.com/TwinMetalsMN/ and https://twitter.com/TwinMetalsMN.

Contact:
Kathy Graul
media@twin-metals.com
651-728-2357