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Magma Copper’s Union Yes ore car
In the late 1980s, the relationship between the United Steelworkers of America Local 937 and Magma management began to change. It was moving from being adversarial to a more cooperative system.
Don Shelton
Don Shelton, former President and spokesman for the union said, “It had been normal business to be at war with the company.”
Both sides would have to learn to work together and trust each other. It would be a change in culture for management and the union. In 1986, the union helped out the company by agreeing to take a pay cut which helped Magma to be able to retrofit and upgrade their smelter, which the EPA was threatening to shut down.
In 1990, both the company and the union had negotiated a Joint Union-Management Cooperation Committee system which called for cooperation between management and workers. While at a Kalamazoo “K” ore body steering committee meeting, Harry Smith, an executive for Magma at the time, said to Shelton one day, “I wish there was a way to get this out to the people.”
Don suggested that they use an ore car as a sign and said, “but I want one for the union, too.” The ore car would be a demonstration of the company and union working together. “It would show that the company meant what they said and we could start trusting them and we could help the company,” said Shelton.
Magma provided an ore car for the union and paid for the painting of the sign with the message Don had suggested.
“It made a splash with the workers especially with the other mines,” Don said.
Pictures of the ore car were on union publications all over the country.
“Harry Smith was one of the best managers I ever worked with. He had complete integrity,” he added.
Don continued to work for the company and the union until his retirement in 1998. In 1999, Don returned to San Manuel with his brother-in-law, Bob Lee, a retiree from Magma/BHP, to see the demolition of the smokestacks.
“I realized it was an end of an era and a sad thing for the community. I also felt that no one would know how this place really was unless they had worked there. Magma/BHP was like a huge organism with so many parts but all working together to produce copper and fill the lives of so many people,” Don said.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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