Vale strikers collect money for food bank
It's Day 10 on the picket line for 2,400 workers at Vale, who hit the picket lines to fight for benefits for new hires and better pension and wage increases.
At the picket lines across the Sudbury area Thursday, the union was collecting cash donations for the Sudbury Food Bank.
"With COVID and everything, it's been a rough year for everybody and we know we are on strike and a lot of people drop stuff off to us and we want to give back today to everyone in the community," said Mickey O'Brien, a Steelworkers Local 6500 member.
The union membership rejected the company's first offer by 70 per cent. One of the major issues is the loss of benefits after retirement for new hires.
"We figure that with all the stuff we are dealing with here at the smelter, all of the carcinogen substances, that we deserve to have our benefits after retirement, that's probably when we are gonna use it most," said striker Yan Ouellet.
"We inhale diesel fumes, dust. In the smelter there is so much toxic stuff that our members deal with every day. They get cancer," added O'Brien.
For the second time in week, local MPPs France Gelinas and Jamie West showed their support for workers on the picket line. West worked for Vale for 17 years and was on strike twice.
"The reality is when you get hired you have a pretty good contract to a pretty good living and that's what drives our economy here in Sudbury," West said.
"And I am inspired by workers who are standing up for people who haven't been hired yet saying we want to make sure they have the same benefits I was hired with."
The workers said they also want better wage increases, given the company's current record profits.
"If we don't stand together in the good times, we are afraid that the bad time is going to be even worse," said Ouellet.
Both the union and the company confirm talks are ongoing.
Vale says its Sudbury operations remain ramped down to a safe state.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.