Sudbury workers reject Vale's new contract settlement offer

Johnnny

Frontiersman
Jun 8, 2007
9,388
124
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Third rock from the Sun
The decisive rejection of the offer means the stoppage, now into its eighth month will continue.
Mineweb - Sudbury workers reject Vale`s new contract settlement offer - CANADA

Striking workers at Vale's (VALE5.SA: Quote) nickel operations in Ontario, Canada decisively rejected a contract settlement offer from the company, meaning the 8-month work stoppage will continue, a union official said on Thursday.
Wayne Fraser, regional director of the United Steelworkers union, which represents the more than 3,000 striking workers at Sudbury and Port Colborne, said the vote was nearly 90 percent against the offer.
Mediated talks between the two sides broke down this week. Union leaders described the latest company offer as falling far short of the union's expectations, but still held the membership vote.
A separate strike at Vale's Voisey's Bay nickel mine in the eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has been going since last August.
The Brazilian mining company acquired the Canadian assets when it bought nickel miner Inco in 2006.
In Sudbury, the two sides have been at odds over proposed changes to pensions and a worker bonus tied to the price of nickel.
Tensions increased late last year as the company partially restarted the operations using contract workers and employees from outside the striking bargaining unit.
Nickel prices have been slow to recover from a steep drop in 2007 and 2008, giving the company little incentive to come to a quick resolution.
Vale's Sudbury operations -- which include several mines, a mill, smelter and a refinery -- produced 85,300 tonnes of nickel in 2008, while Voisey's Bay produced 77,500 tonnes. Output at both sites dropped sharply in 2009 due to the strikes, as well as deliberate shutdowns due to weak nickel demand. (Reporting by Cameron French; Editing by Anshuman Daga)
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
211
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In the bush near Sudbury
USW 6500 isn't in the drivers seat. Sudbury operations are expensive. It works into Vale-Inco's favour to close Sudbury and ship raw ore to Brazil - where they have the carbon credits to run the smelters full blast.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
7,046
43
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You don't have to know much of this information to know these workers just slit their own throats. This company will close it's doors and leave ASAP - an obvious conclusion. The workers' are fools. They need to go back today and then work the company back up to what they consider is a decent wage.
I work for a company (unionized) with 3 pay grids. Grid A gets double the pay that I do for doing exactlythe same job except they work only early day shifts with weekends off. Some of grid B has the ability to move to grid A at some point (so they say). I'm in the next part of grid B. I cannot change my status - the contract is clear. I can work my way up to a certain pay level and then it's capped. People below me started at higher wages per hour than me but they cannot work up to quite as high as I can (if I stay and I'm not). Our union rep. (woman) is trying to tell us that we need to work toward having all pay grids moved to grid A. We (the lowly workers) believe they are moving toward disposing of grid A. Wouldn't you if you had workers you are paying $25.00 p/h to and more who are making around $11.00 - 12.00 p/h? Hours have been cut drastically. Customer service is almost nil meaning we get less customers making it appear we are going down. The owner of this company is too powerful. He is never going to allow grid A to get a grip and over and above that, grid A is not going to help us get to their level because they fear losing what they have. Probably 75% of employees see a "Price Smart" store (no union) coming through our doors (same owner) and the end of grid A, B and C. Our union rep says no - don't push for one pay grid - push for grid A. That's likely the same thinking that is happening in the OP. Puts people out of work. Less money coming in sucks but - it's one hell of a lot better than no money. The Sudbury people better suck it up fast.