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Paychecks return – Butte mine gears up to reopen

Payday came this week for Tim Shields, Dan Mueller, Tyke Galle and Jesse Cleverly.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

Perched on the dirt plateau at Montana Resources, the men took a break from repairing machinery to look over their paychecks. Galle has worked on and off for the copper mine since it shut down three years ago. For others, like Shields, Mueller and Cleverly, the checks symbolize a welcome return to work.

"It feels good," said Shields.

A Butte native, he spent 14 years at the mine before it was idled in 2000. He worked some at the Butte Pre-release Center and attended school, retrained in computers. However, when the mine called, Shields was ready; he started work last week as part of the first contingent hired — those getting machinery fixed — to ready the mine for operation.

"It’s good to see you," said a smiling Steve Walsh, the MR vice president who steadfastly believed the mine would reopen. He kept it maintained during its hiatus with the help of a skeleton crew.

"It’s a great day for Butte," he said.

Montana Resources’ announcement in August that it would reopen sent waves of excitement through Butte, a city buffeted by bad economic news ever since the shutdown. In a triple whammy, the mine closed and then Touch America, the Butte telecommunications company, imploded. Since then, NorthWestern Energy, one of the town’s largest employers, has begun bankruptcy

proceedings.

Along the way, the ripples have caused layoffs and fed an economic malaise.

But a new wave of optimism has emerged with the reopening.

"It’s given a lot of hope in Butte. People want to build on this momentum," Walsh said.

The wife of a former Montana Resources’ worker added this perspective:

"Oh my God, it was so exciting," said Pam Celli.

Pam and her husband, Bruno, have been apart for the past couple years after he found work at a mine in Gillette, Wyo. He made the long six-and-one-half hour road trip home to Butte as often as he could.

"He wanted me to stay here because he (thought) that if it opened, he was back home," Celli said in an interview shortly after the mine reopened, while faxing her husband’s resignation letter to Gillette.

"He’s packing as we speak."

Celli is working

full-time at Montana Resources.

Word of the mine’s reopening spread fast, and spurred a flurry of applications.

Montana Resources has received nearly 1,000 resumes — mostly from local people. But applications flooded in from other Montana cities and Nevada.

More than half of the former Montana Resources’ workforce — 175 people — has expressed interest in returning to work, Walsh said. About 350 positions are available and Walsh said each will be examined to match people’s skills to the work.

One of the mine’s greatest strengths — even before it shutdown — is the ability of its workers to be flexible. A concentrator operator may be a mechanic for a few days or a shovel operator may pitch in on other tasks if needed.

"We have a lot of talent and skills," Walsh said. "We mix it up."

Walsh wouldn’t say what workers are earning — but said it is higher than when the mine shut down three years previously. At that time, employees were earning about $30,000 a year, along with benefits and profit-sharing.

Since the announcement, 28 new people have been added to the Montana Resources payroll. Workers will continue to be hired until full production resumes in mid-November.

The mine’s start has enabled people to come home, like Mueller.

"I was in Billings all winter and Bozeman all summer," said Mueller, an ironworker. "I never thought it would (reopen). But when Frank Gardner (Montana Resources’ president) got in, I thought it had a chance."

Gardner, who was retired, has rejoined the mine as president.

The mine has a solid, 10-year financial plan although its life is estimated at 23 years. No plans exist to go underground, like Golden Sunlight (see related story).

"It’s great to see it up and running; it helps everything," said Galle.

Reporter Leslie McCartney may be reached via email at [email protected].

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2003/09/07/newsbutte_top/hjjgjajcjcfhjc.txt

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