Source: CTV News
The end to a long-running and bitter strike in Ontario is in sight as mining giant Vale announced it reached a tentative agreement with production and maintenance workers on Sunday.
The metals miner says the agreement involves a new five-year contract with United Steel Workers Locals 6500 and 6200, which represent production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne.
“It's been a long strike and I think that both sides worked hard,” said Cory McPhee, vice-president of corporate affairs.
“Both sides wanted a deal and that ultimately was the driving force to this outcome.”
Comprehensive memorandums of agreement are to be signed between Vale and the USW in Sudbury and Port Colborne on Monday.
The deal contains a return-to-work protocol, but Vale says it is still unclear when the employees will be returning to work.
“I can't comment on timing,” Mr. McPhee said. “Once the vote process is sorted out, we'll begin bringing people back to work.”
The union will now present the deal to the membership and ratification votes will be scheduled.
“Suffice to say, we're very happy to have a deal done,” Mr. McPhee said.
The announcement comes just days after Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said the two sides had agreed to resume bargaining.
Before reaching an impasse, the two sides had agreed on all issues except one – the firing of eight workers during the strike and whether they were entitled to arbitration.
A statement from Mr. Fonseca had said the impasse on the issue was not acceptable to the communities involved nor to the government.
Mr. McPhee wouldn't say how the issue was dealt with but confirmed that it had been resolved.
“We were able to come together and get over that hurdle.”
Vale says the settlements were reached with the help of mediators Kevin Burkett and Reg Pearson.
More than 3,000 production and maintenance workers at Vale's Ontario operations in Sudbury and Port Colborne have been on strike since July 13.
Key issues included a nickel bonus, job transfers, contracting out and pensions
Vale's nickel business employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and had net sales of $3.26-billion last year, accounting for 13.6 per cent of Vale's overall revenue.
Vale settles with Sudbury miners
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Canadian Press
Brazilian mining giant Vale has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers to end an Ontario strike that has lasted nearly a year.
The metals miner, formerly known as Inco, said Sunday it settled on a new five-year contract with two USW locals representing 3,000 production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne.
Comprehensive memorandums of agreement will be signed between Vale and the union on Monday.
"It's been a long strike and I think that both sides worked hard," said Cory McPhee, vice-president of corporate affairs.
"Both sides wanted a deal and that ultimately was the driving force to this outcome."
The announcement comes just days after Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said the two sides had agreed to resume bargaining.
Firings caused impasse
Before reaching an impasse, the two sides had agreed on all issues except one — the firing of eight workers during the strike and whether they were entitled to arbitration.
A statement from Fonseca had said the impasse was not acceptable to the communities involved, nor the government.
A statement from USW local 6500 said an agreement had been reached with Vale to have the firing issue heard by the Ontario Labour Relations Board, beginning Friday.
"This removes the remaining obstacle in the long struggle with Vale," the statement said.
The union said ratification votes have been scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Sudbury and Thursday in Port Colborne.
The tentative deal contains a return-to-work protocol, but Vale says it is still unclear when the employees will be back on the job.
"Once the vote process is sorted out, we'll begin bringing people back to work," said McPhee. "Suffice to say, we're very happy to have a deal done."
Key issues included a bonus, job transfers, contracting out and pensions.
Vale's nickel business employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and had sales of $3.26 billion US last year, accounting for 13.6 per cent of the company's overall revenue.
The workers have been on strike since July 13, 2009. Vale said the settlements were reached with the help of mediators Kevin Burkett and Reg Pearson.
At one point during the strike, the union accused Vale of bad-faith bargaining and the company had accused the union of "unlawful thuggery" over a variety of incidents on the picket lines.
The metals miner says the agreement involves a new five-year contract with United Steel Workers Locals 6500 and 6200, which represent production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne.
“It's been a long strike and I think that both sides worked hard,” said Cory McPhee, vice-president of corporate affairs.
“Both sides wanted a deal and that ultimately was the driving force to this outcome.”
Comprehensive memorandums of agreement are to be signed between Vale and the USW in Sudbury and Port Colborne on Monday.
The deal contains a return-to-work protocol, but Vale says it is still unclear when the employees will be returning to work.
“I can't comment on timing,” Mr. McPhee said. “Once the vote process is sorted out, we'll begin bringing people back to work.”
The union will now present the deal to the membership and ratification votes will be scheduled.
“Suffice to say, we're very happy to have a deal done,” Mr. McPhee said.
The announcement comes just days after Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said the two sides had agreed to resume bargaining.
Before reaching an impasse, the two sides had agreed on all issues except one – the firing of eight workers during the strike and whether they were entitled to arbitration.
A statement from Mr. Fonseca had said the impasse on the issue was not acceptable to the communities involved nor to the government.
Mr. McPhee wouldn't say how the issue was dealt with but confirmed that it had been resolved.
“We were able to come together and get over that hurdle.”
Vale says the settlements were reached with the help of mediators Kevin Burkett and Reg Pearson.
More than 3,000 production and maintenance workers at Vale's Ontario operations in Sudbury and Port Colborne have been on strike since July 13.
Key issues included a nickel bonus, job transfers, contracting out and pensions
Vale's nickel business employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and had net sales of $3.26-billion last year, accounting for 13.6 per cent of Vale's overall revenue.
Vale settles with Sudbury miners
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Canadian Press
Brazilian mining giant Vale has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers to end an Ontario strike that has lasted nearly a year.
The metals miner, formerly known as Inco, said Sunday it settled on a new five-year contract with two USW locals representing 3,000 production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne.
Comprehensive memorandums of agreement will be signed between Vale and the union on Monday.
"It's been a long strike and I think that both sides worked hard," said Cory McPhee, vice-president of corporate affairs.
"Both sides wanted a deal and that ultimately was the driving force to this outcome."
The announcement comes just days after Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said the two sides had agreed to resume bargaining.
Firings caused impasse
Before reaching an impasse, the two sides had agreed on all issues except one — the firing of eight workers during the strike and whether they were entitled to arbitration.
A statement from Fonseca had said the impasse was not acceptable to the communities involved, nor the government.
A statement from USW local 6500 said an agreement had been reached with Vale to have the firing issue heard by the Ontario Labour Relations Board, beginning Friday.
"This removes the remaining obstacle in the long struggle with Vale," the statement said.
The union said ratification votes have been scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Sudbury and Thursday in Port Colborne.
The tentative deal contains a return-to-work protocol, but Vale says it is still unclear when the employees will be back on the job.
"Once the vote process is sorted out, we'll begin bringing people back to work," said McPhee. "Suffice to say, we're very happy to have a deal done."
Key issues included a bonus, job transfers, contracting out and pensions.
Vale's nickel business employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and had sales of $3.26 billion US last year, accounting for 13.6 per cent of the company's overall revenue.
The workers have been on strike since July 13, 2009. Vale said the settlements were reached with the help of mediators Kevin Burkett and Reg Pearson.
At one point during the strike, the union accused Vale of bad-faith bargaining and the company had accused the union of "unlawful thuggery" over a variety of incidents on the picket lines.
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