There could be a strike at CVRD Inco's Greater Sudbury operations within 48 hours if a new deal isn't hammered out before the strike deadline at midnight Saturday.
Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2020 have voted 99 percent in favour of strike action is a settlement isn't reached. The union represents 330 office and technical workers.
Union Ontario/Atlantic director Wayne Fraser said the company will have to make an offer comparable to other mining industry contracts for production and maintenance workers that have been signed in Greater Sudbury over the past several months.
"Our office and technical members are not second-class citizens," said Fraser, in a news release. "CVRD Inco must understand that.
John Fera, president of Local 6500, representing CVRD Inco production and maintenance employees, and Myles Sullivan, unit president of Xstrata Nickel's office, clerical and technical members with Local 2020 of the USW, voiced their support Thursday for the 330 members being affected by the current negotiations.
"A pattern has been established in the nickel industry and CVRD Inco must recognize that and match it," said Fera. "Our 3,300 members are solidly behind the clerical and technical members now and going forward."
There's no reason a profitable company like CVRD Inco can't present the membership with a comparable offer, said Sullivan.
If a deal isn't reached by Saturday evening, pickets will be set up across CVRD Inco operations across Greater Sudbury one minute after midnight, said Fraser.
