Sibanye-Stillwater reaches labor agreement at Montana mine

Sibanye-Stillwater has announced that employees at its East Boulder mine in Montana, USA, have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the United Steelworkers (USW) International Union. The contract is effective retroactively from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029.

The agreement includes wage increases of 4.5% in the first year. For the second and third years, raises will be either 3.5% and 3.0% respectively, or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is higher.

This contract supports the company's strategy to fully mechanize its US platinum group metal (PGM) operations. Key changes include transitioning from an individual rock-breaking incentive system to a team-based model and modernizing social benefits to align with the US market. While this agreement has been reached for the East Boulder site, strikes by USW members continue at the Stillwater East mine and the Columbus metallurgical plant.