Around 40 percent of the workforce at the country’s primary platinum and palladium mining operation are protesting proposed contract terms with operator Sibanye-Stillwater.
The contract covers over 400 members of the local United Steelworkers union and has been under negotiation for months. Local union president Daniel Beluscak says that the new agreement makes cuts to incentives, disability leave and other benefits.
“We’re trying to hold onto what they have, maintain our benefits. It’s a very safety-oriented, stressful job. Long, long hard hours underground, and to attack our benefits all at once. It’s hard to handle,” Beluscak said.
Sibanye-Stillwater is part of a global company headquartered in South Africa. Management says U.S. operations are in a deficit and domestic platinum and palladium mining is not profitable enough to offer the same terms as previous years.
Employees went on strike as of 7am Thursday morning.
Workers are taking shifts picketing in front of the United Steelworkers union hall in Columbus, the metallurgical complex and the mine in Nye.
Aven Benner works at the met complex and lives in Billings.
"When you’re increasing all of the costs of my benefits to where it’s costing me more money to come to work, why would I continue to come to work?” she said.
Jordan Goff from Billings says his family relies on the benefits he receives from his job while already dealing with higher costs.
“Those kinds of things just add more stress, more medical and whatever, and then the raises barely offset that," he said.
Sibanye-Stillwater is part of a global company based in South Africa. Local management says costs at its Montana operation have increased and it can’t afford to pay workers what they have in the past.
Spokesperson Heather McDowell says the company is willing to sit down with the union to talk, and union president Daniel Beluscak says strikes will continue until an agreement is reached.
Sibanye-Stillwater recently appealed a federal trade case they lost in May when the U.S. International Trade Commission determined Russian imports into the U.S. pose little threat to domestic palladium mining or profits.
Sibanye-Stillwater is part of a global mining company headquartered in South Africa, the second largest exporter of palladium globally after Russia. In 2024, Sibanye announced hundreds of layoffs and suffering profits, which it attributed to high costs, a suffering palladium market and competition from Russia.
In May of this year, the International Trade Commission determined Russian imports have a minimal impact on the U.S. palladium market or its profits. According to a Commission report, that global market determines palladium prices. In 2025, the U.S. produced about 3 percent of global palladium compared to Russia at 44 percent and South Africa at 37 percent.
Sibanye-Stillwater say they disagree with the findings. The company filed a claim with the U.S. Court of International Trade in July to appeal the decision, with briefings scheduled for December.
