FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

 November 2022

Kensington News & Updates

Happy Veterans Day to our Coeur Heroes! Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

Message from Steve

Dear Team,  


The days are getting shorter and as I write this update snow is falling. It’s the final push to the end of the year and there are a lot of things happening at site and for all of you at home. During these busy last two months of the year, we cannot take our minds off safety and the environment. With the start of the winter snow please make sure that you are properly prepared for travel to and from site. While onsite make sure you have proper PPE for the conditions.  



Last month we held five “All Hands” meetings in our surface shop. I want to thank all of you for attending and providing feedback. As I have stated previously honest and constructive two way feedback is crucial to our continued success here at Kensington. Some of the feedback we received in this last round of meetings included the following; 

  • KDR operating hours and food consistency
  • Additional Bus/Boat options for travel to and from site – We will continue to look at different options to align bus/boat travel to and from site with flights leaving Juneau, however; this can be very challenging to be identify one option that is optimal for everyone. The cost implication of adding additional bus/boat runs to site is extremely high considering current fuel and labor costs.  
  • Mail Policy – an email communication was sent to all employees to further clarify the current mail policy 
  • Employee use freezer in KDR – we are looking a freezer for communal use similar to the employee fridge in the KDR 


I would like all of you to know that we take your feedback seriously and understand the importance of timely follow up. Some of your feedback has resulted in the following changes; 

  • Creation of the recreation room in the former Goldbelt security trailer 
  • Upgrade of equipment in the gym 
  • Improved communication – implemented monthly newsletters, regularly scheduled “all hands” meetings, message boards, use of both internal and external emails for important notifications 
  • Painted KDR and placed canvas employee and profession photos in KDR and Admin buildings. Plans for additional canvas photos in additional buildings around site.  


I want to encourage all of you to bring forth ideas and suggestions on how we could do better in regards to safety, the environment and our operations. One of the established means that all of you can participate in this is through our Continuous Improvement (CI) board in the KDR. Our management team reviews CI submissions on a bi-weekly basis and if we implement one of your ideas you have the opportunity to receive a gift card ($25-$200). You can also always bring forward ideas to your supervisors, managers or myself.  


As we move into the final two months of the year I want to stress again the importance of keeping our minds on our work, and safety and the environment at the forefront of our thoughts. 


Best Regards,

Steve

Upcoming Events


10/24 - 12/2 - Open Enrollment

11/11 - Veterans Day

12/10 - Coeur Alaska Company Holiday Party

Important Contacts


Dispatch 907.523.3829

Mill Control 907.523.3380

Medic 907.523.3333

Town Office 907.523.3300

Payroll 907.523.3385

Employee Webpage


Check the CAK employee site for up-to-date information and resources


Password: 2022

Visit the CAK Employee Site

Employee Volunteering


Please help us showcase Kensington’s community support by sharing how you have helped others this month. Being able to highlight the difference our employees make in our communities is important for our company's continued success.


Our employees had 161 volunteer hours in October!


Please include the name of the group(s) or organization(s) supported and the number of hours volunteered.

Report Volunteer Hours

2023 Benefits Open Enrollment

Coeur Employees,

 

Our annual benefit open enrollment period begins Monday, October 24th through Friday, December 2nd

 

During the open enrollment window, you can:

  • Make changes to your benefit plan coverage.
  • Add new voluntary plan offerings.
  • Make updates on eligible dependents.

 

What is important to know for 2023? 

  • Coeur will maintain the same comprehensive benefits coverage as in 2022.
  • Modest increases in monthly medical and vision employee payroll contributions after three years of no changes.
  • If you do not make any changes, your medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage will stay the same as in 2022.
  • Flexible spending for medical expenses and dependent care accounts require re-election for 2023!

 

Any benefit updates in 2023?

VSP Vision Care: Prescription safety glasses now covered.

 

How do I get additional information on 2023 benefits?

 

How do I make changes? How do I know what benefits I currently have?

Click here to log into ADP to access open enrollment and make elections or make changes.


If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to hrkensington@coeur.com .

  

Supporting Military Service Members in the Workplace

In support of National Veterans and Military Families Month, Coeur Mining has partnered with Lyra Health to share a guide to “Supporting Military Service Members in the Workplace,” with helpful information for recognizing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as tips for creating a trauma-informed work setting. 

 

If you’d like the help of a specialist for you or a loved one experiencing PTSD or having difficulty transitioning to civilian settings and daily life, visit https://coeurmining.lyrahealth.com/.

 

If you have any questions about this benefit, please feel free to reach out to Katie Coyle, HR Manager, directly--or any member of the HR team.


Camp Update

If you haven't already, stop by the Ptarmigan Sleeper to check out our new quiet room/library. There are a lot of reading options available, as well as two massage chairs to help you unwind and relax after your shift. 

2022 Payroll Schedule

If you have any questions relating to payroll, please contact:


Kasey Abel 

kabel@coeur.com

907.523.3385



Kensington Culture


A healthy culture serves as a unifying force for our organization and facilitates our ability to deliver on strategy. Every two years Coeur asks employees to participate in a Culture Survey and the results are used to identify areas for improvement.


We heard your concerns and we are taking action! The table below shows our progress toward our culture improvements at site.

Welcome New Miners!
  • Chris Skellham - Mine Operations
  • Davin Treas - Mine Operations
  • Ben Lehto - Support
  • James Guy - Processing/Mill
Welcome to the Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine!


Employee Milestones
  • Phillip Malander - 1 year
  • Justin Erickson - 1 year
  • Jason Humphrey - 1 year
  • Jon Livermore - 1 year 
  • Shawn Lindstrom - 1 year
  • Cal Callaghan - 1 year
  • Tyler Senger - 1 year
  • Lary Martinez - 2 years
  • John Matson - 2 years
  • Aleksey Pisarev - 2 years
  • Miguel Hernandez - 3 years
  • Mick Breheny - 3 years
  • Alex George - 3 years
  • Ezra Mendoza - 3 years
  • Clint Howard - 3 years
  • Carey Nollner - 4 years
  • Travis Blakely - 5 years
  • Ben McCann - 5 years
  • Kayla Vaughn - 6 years
  • Pavlo Osiychuk - 6 years
  • Brian Whistler - 7 years
  • Casey Lacovara - 7 years
  • Reece Satran - 8 years
  • Josh Joyner - 9 years
  • John Komar - 11 years
  • Kelly Rickards - 11 years
  • Eddie Petrie - 15 years
  • John Ashenfelter - 15 years

Pursuing a Higher Standard Awards

The following employees were nominated  for the Pursuing a Higher Standard Peer Recognition Award by their peers in October:


  • Adam Finkbonner
  • Maureen Lare
  • Randy Hansen
  • John Wodkowski


Congratulations on your recognition, and thank you for being an example of how Coeur Alaska Pursues a Higher Standard!


Do you want to nominate a peer for the award? Fill out a nomination form and submit it to Amanda Vredenburg at avredenburg@coeur.com.

Peer Recognition Nomination Form

Women in Mining

Women in Mining (WIM) is a nationwide organization for individuals employed in, associated with, or interested in mining. It is not limited to women; men are also encouraged to join. 


We are excited to announce that we are in the process of forming an Alaska State Chapter of Women in Mining!


If you are interested in joining the new WIM Alaska Chapter, or have questions, please contact Sarah Jensen at sajensen@coeur.com


Safety Focus

November's topic: Berms and Guardrails


Maintaining haul road or overburden tip berms at the correct height has become a safety critical operation at mines around the globe. Since 1990 there has been an average of one fatality per year due to inadequate safety berms. These incidences were completely preventable had sufficient attention been paid to the issue.


Best Practices:  

  • Provide berms, bumper blocks, safety hooks, or similar impeding devices at locations where there is a hazard of over travel. 
  • Examine working places before work begins for conditions that may adversely affect safety and health. 

 

Berms or guardrails shall be provided and maintained on the banks of roadways where a drop-off exists of sufficient grade or depth to cause a vehicle to overturn or endanger persons in equipment. Berms or guardrails shall be at least mid-axle height of the largest equipment which usually travels the roadway. 



Environmental Update

There were three reportable spills during the month. Two of the spills were hydraulic oil and one spill was coolant. One of the hydraulic oil spills was classified as a significant spill as the volume of hydraulic oil spilled exceeded the 25-gallon threshold. This is the first significant spill for the site in 2022. There were no environmental permit excursions or exceedences during the month.   

 

We experienced very high precipitation in October resulting in high flows within the nearby streams and increased stormwater runoff throughout the mine site.  There were three hazard identifications during October related to stormwater items. Thank you for reporting these items so they can be corrected prior to impacting the environment.

 

The 3rd module of the 2022 environmental training has been rolled out and thank you to those who have completed the training. A friendly reminder to others who have not completed the training, the due date is November 27th.  

  

Coeur in the Community

This week hosted the 2022 Alaska Miners Association Convention in Anchorage.


The Alaska Miners Association (AMA) is a non-profit corporation with a mission to promote responsible mineral development in the state of Alaska. Coeur Alaska is a member of AMA and several of its employees serve on the AMA Board of Directors.


This is the first convention held since 2019! Nearly 1,200 people registered for the event. Coeur Alaska was well represented.


  • Elliot Hart (Assay Lab Technician) spoke about his career in mining on a Young Professionals panel
  • Sam Kilfoyle (Senior Exploration Geologist) hosted a booth to share the exploration efforts underway at Kensington
  • Steve Ball (GM) hosted the Operations and Development technical sessions at the Convention
  • Ben Holtz (Projects Engineering Superintendent) presented on the Sulfate Removal Project at site
  • Kyle Beebe (Support Manager), Rochelle Lindley (Community/Government Affairs Manager), and Jesse Walker (Corporate Senior Supply Manager) participated in the annual AMA Board of Directors Meeting
  • Steve even got to introduce the surprise guest - Governor Dunleavy!

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