Community Torn Over Labor Contract Dispute At Largest Open-Pit Mine In CA

BORON, CA - FEBRUARY 2: Locked out workers carry signs at front gate of the Rio Tinto Borax mine two days after mine owners locked out about 540 employees and called in replacement workers, on February 2, 2010 in Boron, California. The Rio Tinto is the largest open-pit mine in California and second-largest boron mine in the world. Mine owners and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 30 were unable to reach agreement on a new contract which would have changed seniority rules. The London-based mining company, which has operations on five continents, has lost 25 percent of its global borax share and locked out workers say they are trying to take away job security and lower salaries. Borax is used in a wide range of products including cleansers, antifreeze, enamel, heat-resistant glass, pharmaceuticals and fertilizers. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)