'Members were expecting a longer battle,' Steelworkers say as Vale strike ends
After 64 days on the picket line, members of United Steelworkers Local 6500 will return to work at Vale Ltd. in Sudbury on Aug. 9.
A five-year contract was approved Tuesday evening, with 85 per cent of workers who took part voting in favour.
“Our members were expecting a longer battle,” said Myles Sullivan, of United Steelworkers District 6.
"They were prepared to do what it took to last as long as they needed to protect the benefits and make the gains that we did. We’re happy that it only took two months, but there was pressure from all sides to get to the table and that’s why we did at this time."
For its part, Vale said it was glad an agreement was reached.
“The past two months have been challenging for everyone,” said Dino Otranto, chief operating officer for Vale's North Atlantic Operations. “We are pleased that the company and the union were able to find common ground and a path forward. We look forward to welcoming everyone back.”
The union said hard work done on the picket lines, as well as community support, was exactly what was needed to get the deal done.
“We brought in the community members as partners,” said Nick Larochelle, USW Local 6500 president.
"We received tremendous support with donations to the strike fund, donations to the picket line. Support from local companies helped us get our message across to Vale and our conduct on the picket line and the belief in our strategic campaign absolutely made a huge difference to help the community support us this year."
Larochelle said social media also played a key role in the strike's success, allowing for greater communication.
Former Laurentian University labour professor John Peters said despite the fact that metal prices are going up and Vale’s revenues have skyrocketed, the company chose the hard route looking for concessions in the collective agreement.
“Mining certainly over the last year has been on the upswing and it looks like it's gonna go through another big bomb cycle," Peters said.
"So you’re leaving millions of dollars on the table, you know, every day that those mines and that refinery and mills are not working. So I think the idea of the (revenue) that are being lost was the big concern for Vale at the end of the day and they were quite willing to accept that they still didn’t get everything that they want, but they are still going to be making a lot of money for everybody.”
Many members will return to work next week, while others will be phased in over the next three weeks to allow those who have other employers to give notice before returning to Vale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.