Representatives from Vale Inco and the United Steelworkers local representing 120 striking workers in Voisey's Bay, Nfld. will meet with a provincial conciliator Jan. 4 to see if there's enough interest in starting up formal negotiations.
Vale Inco spokesperson Cory McPhee said that earlier in December, a meeting had been set up between the parties with the conciliator, but the union failed to show up.
At that time, Vale Inco had filed a “bargaining in bad faith” claim with the labour relations board in Newfoundland against the Steelworkers.
Following this incident, the conciliator asked the lead negotiator for both sides to attend a preliminary meeting about the possibility of starting negotiations. This meeting took place Dec. 21, and a second meeting about the issue will take place Jan. 4.
A statement addressing the meetings has been posted on a Vale Inco website about the strike in Newfoundland, www.vinlnegotiations.com.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet in an effort to find a resolution to the current strike and reaching a collective agreement that works for our employees as well as the business,” the website statement said.
The Voisey's Bay workers have been on strike since Aug. 1. Approximately 3,200 Vale Inco workers represented by the United Steelworkers in Sudbury, Ont. and Port Colborne, Ont. have been on strike since July 13.
McPhee said that unlike in Sudbury and Port Colborne, there haven't yet been any negotiations with the Steelworkers in Voisey's Bay.
“The situation in Voisey's Bay is quite separate and distinct from the situation in Ontario, in that there never really were any formal negotiations that took place,” said McPhee.
“We believe it's a far different situation. For instance, one of the main issues in Ontario has been the new pension plan that is being proposed for new employees. That pension plan is already in place in Voisey's Bay. So it's not an issue there.”
Steelworkers District 6 director Wayne Fraser, who represents the striking workers in both Ontario and Newfoundland, was not immediately available for comment Dec. 30.
However, he told Northern Life earlier this month that the union would be prepared to negotiate if the company takes concessions off the table.
When asked if the Steelworkers union is hoping to put pressure on Vale Inco by not bargaining in Voisey's Bay, Fraser said “we went out together, and we'll go back together. Vale Inco needs to understand that they're not going to divide the three local unions from each other.”
McPhee said the negotiations in Ontario and Newfoundland are separate from each other. “There's no connection between the two,” he said.
