SUDBURY -- Sudbury Steelworkers have reached a new four-and-a-half-year deal with Vale effective immediately, a joint news release said Wednesday night.
The current collective agreement between the two organizations expired on March 31.
Sherri Hawkes was elected unit president of United Steelworkers Local 2020 Unit 6600 on Jan. 13.
"The negotiation process has been both productive and respectful, and we are encouraged that we have been able to reach an agreement that the bargaining committee fully endorsed," Hawkes said.
Mitch Medina is Vale's manager of employee and labour relations for the North Atlantic operations.
"We are pleased that the agreement appropriately meets the needs for both the company and union members," Medina said. "I feel this is exemplified in the endorsement of the agreement by the USW Local 2020 bargaining committee reflecting the positive collaboration throughout the negotiation process."
The Steelworkers Union Local 2020 represents more than 2,200 members from Orillia to northeastern Ontario, including Kirkland Lake, Elliot Lake and Sudbury.
An initial tentative agreement was rejected on March 30, according to the United Steelworkers Local 2020 website, forcing the bargaining team to return to the table.
Danica Pagnutti, a spokesperson for Vale Canada's Ontario operations, confirmed with CTV News in an email Thursday morning that a collective agreement was finally ratified by the union.
No word on what the major sticking points were.
