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5 October, 2009
Mining giant Vale-Inco began production at its struck Clarabelle Mill in Sudbury, Ontario, on 1 October, the first time in Inco’s 60-year history that production has occurred during a strike or lockout.
Company management is now working to restart a smelting mill, as well as the Garson Ramp and Coleman mines, using 1,200 replacement workers.
The restarting of production last week occurred without incident. Some members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2020, representing office, clerical, and technical workers who work under a separate labour agreement not affected by the strike, are being used to do the struck work inside Clarabelle. This has caused the USW to file a grievance, accusing the company of sending unqualified office workers underground. Such action not only violates a provincial Ontario labour statute, but is seen as extremely unsafe and risky.
Wayne Fraser
USW District Six Director Wayne Fraser said the union is very concerned about the safety of its members because they are being assigned work they are not experienced at or are confident in performing. “This doesn’t just risk their health; it risks the health of the people around them,” he said.
Striking steelworkers, numbering 3,500 in northern Ontario and at Port Colborne, Ontario, as well as in Voiseys Bay, Labrador, were incensed with the company’s re-start last week. A further incident in Sudbury that provoked anger was the sacking of three employees for alleged picket-line misconduct.
USW Local 6500 President John Fera
USW Local 6500 President John Fera in Sudbury was furious with the dismissals, stating in a local news account, “Welcome to the new Vale.” The sackings have been described as Vale-Inco attempting to impose fear and intimidation, just as it re-starts operations. The fired workers will be protected by the union, will continue to receive strike pay, and their cases will be addressed at the bargaining table when Vale-Inco decides to return to talks.
Fera called Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper to task for failing to make any kind of public statement over the Brazilian company’s assault on the living standards of Canadians. “I have not heard a word from our Prime Minister, I have not heard a word from our Industry Minister, and I’ve not heard a word from the provincial government,” told the Sudbury Star newspaper.
Miners and smelting plant workers of Sudbury and Port Colborne walked off worksites on 13 July in their fight to retain pensions, a nickel bonus, and a host of other working conditions, including restrictions on the company’s ability to contract out work. Contract talks began 7 April but failed to produce a new collective agreement for Local 6500 in Sudbury and Local 6200 in Port Colborne by the contract’s expiration in late May.
Vale-Inco then refused to move from its concessionary posture in a six-week contract extension that expired on 12 July. On 1 August, 450 miners and smelting plant workers, members of USW Local 9508 at Voiseys Bay in eastern Canada who were under a different labour agreement, struck over similar company concessionary demands.
The strikes have taken on international significance as a symbol for trade unions to block a profitable company from taking advantage of a global recession in order to undercut the wages and living conditions of workers and their families.