USW members focus on jobs, safety as Asarco rolls out autonomous trucks

Members of Locals 915 and 5252 at Asarco’s Ray Mine negotiated safeguards and other provisions that are helping them to navigate one of the first rollouts of autonomous mine vehicles in North America.

Asarco introduced the autonomous haulage system at the Arizona copper mine about seven months ago. The robot trucks travel along designated routes in an “autonomous operating zone,” a major change that required additional bargaining to protect members’ jobs and ensure safe working conditions.

“What we drafted was really kind of new,” said District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott, noting that autonomous vehicles are used at the USW-represented Highland Valley Copper Mine in Canada but otherwise still remain a rarity in the North American mining sector.

Local union representatives and district officials negotiated language barring Asarco from using autonomous haulage as an excuse to cut union jobs. Instead, the agreement required the company to move the 72 displaced drivers into other positions, such as escorts for the autonomous trucks, while also ensuring that union members receive the training needed to maintain the new vehicles.

“We didn’t have layoffs,” Prescott added. “In fact, the employer continues to hire.”

In addition, the union negotiated special safety training for union members and a requirement for the Joint Safety, Health and Environmental Committee to discuss the autonomous haulage system at least once every quarter.

It’s important for union members to have a voice on safety and related issues because of the steep learning curve associated with the new technology and Asarco’s bumpy implementation of the autonomous vehicles.

“It’s changed the way we work within the mine,” said Rick Sosa, vice president and safety chair for Local 5252, noting human drivers will always operate more safely and efficiently than autonomous vehicles that grind to a halt when they mistakenly sense an obstacle in their path.

“These trucks are constantly stopped,” Sosa said, noting the down time hinders other kinds of work at the complex. “They’re not working as expected.”

Union members’ experiences with autonomous vehicles will empower them to deal with any future changes in technology at Asarco while also helping smooth the way for colleagues at other mines who also might face the introduction of autonomous vehicles one day.

“We’re working through this,” Sosa said. “We’re fighting and setting a new standard.”

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