Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 29/99) - To assist miners who lose their jobs at Giant Mine, the Canadian Auto Workers Local 2304 is proposing a transition centre be set up at the union hall, the local's president said.

"I was talking to one of our members who was planning on leaving. I told him about this centre, now he's staying," Canadian Auto Workers Local 2304 President Marc Danis said Monday morning.

The centre will assist the local's members with retraining and education and apprenticeship opportunities, resume writing, interview skills, financial planning, as well as serve as a place of support, Danis said.

The union -- Local 2304 includes 200 hourly Giant Mine workers -- was to present a first draft of the transition centre proposal to the GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment this week.

The proposal includes a undisclosed budget. The union is hoping ECE will be able to fund the proposal.

Danis said he could know by the end of this week what the status of the proposal is.

The local has had meetings with ECE so far to try to help miners who will lose their jobs.

"The idea is to keep as many people employed as possible," Danis said.

Asked if any members of the local had either left town or found other jobs, Danis said he was not aware of any such moves.

Miramar Mining Corp., which owns the Con Mine, has said it could hire back up to 50 Giant Mine workers. When Giant miners opted not to come up with a buy-out plan, it cleared the way for Miramar to buy Giant Mine.

Miramar's plan includes shutting down the Giant Mine mill and processing Giant's ore at Con.

The union has also agreed to meet with Miramar people next week.

The union's effort to keep members of the local employed comes as the price of gold is making one of its biggest jumps in years. Last week, gold had its biggest one-week rally in a decade. Helping drive the price up was a decision to limit gold sales by a consortium of European Central Banks. As well, a recent gold auction in London attracted buyers willing to pay above market price.

In the last three weeks, gold has bolted up about $25 US an ounce.

The precious metal traded as high as $286 US earlier this week. The Monday afternoon London fix was $281.10 US an ounce.

Gold's surge could bode well for Giant's workers, said Danis.

Although it's too late to save the mine in its current operating capacity, it may mean Miramar might up its ore production, he said.

"They (Miramar) might take more of our people on," he said.

With the price of gold now stronger, there may be job opportunities at other gold mines like Echo Bay's Lupin mine, he said.

Lupin was mothballed in January, 1998 pending gold's recovery.

If Echo Bay opts to restart the mine, located west of Bathurst Inlet, it will need to do so in the next three months to meet the winter road schedule.