MANKAYAN, Benguet (Nov. 19) — The Lepanto Employees Union-National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (LEU-Naflu-KMU) won the recently concluded certification elections for rank and file employees of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation, here.

Only the Lepanto Rank-and-File Employees Union-National Mines and Allied Workers Union-International Federation of Chemical, Energy and Mines General Workers’ Union (LRFEU-Namawu-ICEM) challenged LEU-Naflu-KMU.

In the said certification election held November 17, LEU got 863 votes or more than twice the 428 votes for LRFEU. There are six votes for no union and seven spoiled ballots.

LEU-Naflu-KMU President Manuel Binhaon welcomed the election results and vowed to continue to assert the workers’ interests during the forthcoming 24th Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the management of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo).

“The overwhelming support of our members in the union gave us more confidence and strength to push for our demands in the CBA. The officers can now focus more on future activities of the union for the welfare of the general membership. We shall not fail them,” Binhaon said.

The first round of CBA negotiations started yesterday November 24.

In early November, the LEU officers submitted their CBA proposal to the management but due to the pending Petition for Certification Election (PCE) filed by the LRFEU on October 3, the union decided to face the said petition first. The CE was agreed upon by the two unions in a clarificatory hearing on November 8 at the office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Just after the LEU was proclaimed winner in the CE, LRFEU officers said they would file a formal election protest but failed to explain its basis. As of press time no formal protest has been filed. # Aldwin Quitasol/KMU-Cordillera