UPDATED - Dec. 23, 4:28 p.m.
The Steelworkers might find it a bit easier to breathe on the picket lines from here on in, if the court has anything to say about it.
Due to a court ruling, security has been told to keep their distance, fresh wood will be provided by the company for every shift and the strikers will be able to get aboard and take a look at Vale Inco buses, according to Local 6500 President John Fera.
The picket line protocol was hammered out by a Dec. 22 court ruling.
“Now there's a process in place where new wood will be delivered to all of the picket lines, each shift, at (Vale) Inco's expense,” Fera said.
Also, now AFI security have to stay on the company's side of the picket line unless they have some certain work that they have to do where the vehicles are stopped.
There was also new protocol set for the busing-in of workers, in groups of eight or more passenger buses (over the picket line).
The Steelworkers are now allowed to get on the buses for “a couple of minutes” and take a look around, according to Fera. The union can also give information to the people on the bus through the windows.
The information would include “financial information on Vale, what kind of money they're making” and “what we're doing as a Local to support our members,” Fera said.
The Strikers can stop the bus for up to 15 minutes, as well.
“We're opposed to passenger buses coming anywhere near our picket lines, but having said that, we can't stop that from happening,” he said. “So it (was) important that we put a good protocol in place to assist our members on the line.”
Fera said the court agreement shows the judges “have a pretty good handle on what should be in process.
“We thought the judges certainly understood what the issues were. Just like before, they knew what we wanted, but they also knew what we needed.”
From Vale Inco's point of view, company spokesperson Steve Ball said they are “satisfied.
"We are satisfied with the refinement of the order after the hearing with Justice Poupore this morning."
The protocol developed in today's court hearing was specific to busing non-union, office and technical employees as well as replacement workers across picket lines and into work sites.
"This ruling both reinforces the right of the Steelworkers to lawfully picket and the company's right to run our business as we see fit," Ball said.
The court date was a follow up to a previous court visit on Nov. 28. Superior Court Justice John Poupore led the proceedings.
About 3,000 members of the Local 6500 have been on strike since July 13, after contract negotiations broke off.
Even with the new protocol, the reality is it's a tough time for workers and their families, Fera said.
"I just want to acknowledge that it's a difficult Christmas for a lot of our people," he said.
Fera went further to tell his workers "never give up faith because We're going to come away with a good outcome at the end of this."
