Members of Local 598 Xstrata Nickel Unit have voted in favour of a strike mandate and will be hitting the picket lines if a new agreement isn't made by the end of the month.
Union members voted 98 percent to give the bargaining committee a strike mandate.
Although the two sides haven't engaged in direct talks since Dec. 11, a provincial mediator will be in town Wednesday which might trigger a return to the bargaining table.
"We are unwilling to accept a contract that does not include better language, increased pensions, wages and benefits given the enormous profits that Xstrata Nickel stands to make during the life of the next collective agreement. Our jobs are not up for grabs," the union said in a statement.
